90 Days
by AcamWriter
Summary: Same characters in a modernized setting. Tamina unwillingly have to sell off her company to Dastan who will be a co-director with her for the next 90 days. With both of them hating the very sight of each other, it is going to be a long 90 days!
1. Chapter 1

It was very encouraging to get reviews in my first Price of Persia Fanfic and I already have another on my way. But with exams and work I cannot concentrate on that and wanted to do a lighthearted one as a stress buster!

SO in my silliness, concocted a modern day PoP fanfic! Just want to share one chapter and see if you all are interested. It will be more humor with Dastan and Tamina wanting to kill each other most of the time.

Look forward to your feedback!

Chapter 1

Today was possibly the worst day of her life, she thought as she drove to work through the London streets. "Let's see there's the divorce, losing my dad and now losing what they built," she announced to herself as she turned a corner to avoid the traffic and sped away in her working class car.

Three years ago, everything was fine in her eyes but it was simply the beginning of the end. Falling in love at sixteen is sweet and the stuff of fairy tales but not hers. She followed the man around to another continent with his diplomatic work and left her father, who brought her up after her mother's death, alone with the company. She was just served with the divorce papers when the call came. She still remembers the words so cold, mechanic and short informing of her father's passing as if it was routine, as if it did not matter. She had one more box to pack and the ticket to get back home was on her table. Two more days and she would have been with her father but she never saw him. The last time she spoke to her, he was happy that she was free of the man who dictated her life and bursting with hope that she will take over the company one day. "I know you hate business Tami," he would tell her, "but your mother and I built this company for you baby. You wait and see! You will sit on this throne one day."

However this is not the way her father or herself imagined the company would come to her. The company had disagreeing investors, loans and loyal employees in a recession. She was just 24 years old. For three years, she tried her best with no business background to save the company as investors left one by one. It was done to make herself free of the guilt of abandoning her duty but it hardly gave any comfort as it was clear nothing could be done now. Filing for bankruptcy was not an option in her mind and it was then the lawyers suggested the sale of the company to their competitor with David and Goliath comparison -Empire Inc.

Empire was a massive family conglomerate with their tentacles, as she described it, in everything. They had a reputation of buying over failing corporations in America and putting them in order leaving a trail of job cuts and redundancies. When the news first came that they are going to reach over the pond and buy her company, she scrolled through the website, staring at the three sons with weird names Tus, Garsiv and Dastan. However, this was the best offer and the chance that the company the father built would continue even without her.

It was then she felt the large force of a car hitting her from behind in the shortcut she always takes.

"Are you fucking kidding me," she screamed and looked up, "Thank you. This is just what I needed!"

"I am so so sorry," the driver got out of the vehicle apologetic but with the slight smile. His long hair combed back and a scruffy beard which annoyed her even more for no good reason.

"Is this funny to you?"

"No, no I am so so sorry. It's just that I am not used to right side driving and..."

"And Monday morning was a good time to try?"

"Look Paul is going to get into trouble if you say I was driving. We will give you his details and mine and I promise you we will sort it out," he said. Nevertheless it blew up into an argument and she was fuming!

Tamina looked at her watch. She had only ten minutes to get to a location fifteen minutes away and this was the last thing on her mind. She snatched the information from his hands in annoyance and got into her car.

She parked. She grabbed her files and ran into the office to be met by Asoka.

"I know, know! Are they here?" she enquired.

"In the board room. I stuffed them with pastries. What happened?"

"Homeless guy in a BMW hit the car from behind," she mumbled as they got into the lift. Their boardroom was small but had a beautiful glass wall through which Tamina saw the soon to be owners with the legal team. She walked in and exchanged pleasantries with Tus and Garsiv who had been handling the handover of the company. It will be the youngest Dastan who will be the working director for the next three months heading towards the final sign off. This will be his first solo project and it was insulting to Tamina that they thought so less of her company to send the director with the training wheels to her company. He was not there as she walked into the conference room and she, already bias against him, assumed that he must be late from one of his tours as the lawyers kept going on and on about.

"Dastan will join in today in a bit. He has been delayed for about ten minutes...actually here he comes now," Tus said.

Tamina could not believe her eyes, the homeless guy in a BMW is Dastan! He was equally surprised and mumbled "shit crazy morning lady."

"Excuse me?" Tus asked.

"Er I said nice to see you again," he said as he extended his had to her.

"You two know each other?" Tus was surprised.

"Oh...I rammed her from behind," Dastan said without thinking and everyone starred in surprise while Garsiv smirked.

"What I meant was that my car hit her car from behind," he said uncomfortable at his own mistake.

It took Tamina all she had not to cry when the agreements were signed off. For three months, Dastan would co-direct and the transfer will be complete. Her whole life she loathed working in her father's company and now, when it became the only link to him, she had to let it go. Papers signed and handshakes exchanged, they were walking out when Dastan moved closer to Tamina.

"I am sorry about the fender bender," he said in sincerity only to be met by scorn from Tamina.

"Well you should be. As of now, it's your property."

Tamina was never a person who let anyone see her true feeling and after years of being the brave face of her company, it became overwhelming and it came out as tears. She could not run to the Ladies washroom because the girls are there this time in the morning and she ran into the men's washroom without a thought. She barely wiped her tears off when she heard the three brothers come in. She ran into the out of service cubicle and locked the door.

"This is ridiculous," she reprimanded herself. Why did she not walk out? It was her company still and why on earth are three grown men going to the washroom together? Now she is stuck in a cubical having to listen to them pee!

"So the documents will be registered and then you will hold Power of Attorney," Tus said.

"You are as good as married to her now. Besides you did ram her from behind," Garsiv joked.

"Ha ha very funny. I feel like I'm being punished for not being part of the company for so long. She's annoying and shrill and stuck up. Freaking nightmare!"

"You met her for two seconds Dastan. We just took her company which means the world to her. I'd be pissed off too if it was me," Tus said.

"Maybe she needs to get some," Garsiv laughed and Tamina wanted to punch his face.

"That's offensive," Tus glared.

.

"So are you going to sleep with her?" Garsiv questioned Dastan while the two brothers in union said his name in annoyance.

"I'm just saying. It looks like you are going to sleep with her," Garsiv continued, "In fact, I'm so sure you will I bet you five grand, within three months, you're gonna give her good lovin "

She was so mad and her jaw fell as the conversation continued. Tamina wanted to burst of out the cubical and scream her head off.

"What? I am not going to sleep with her. And who talks like that?"

"Then shake on it!"

"Fine!" they shook hands

" I didn't wash my hands," Garsiv laughed.

"You're disgusting!"

Tus jumped into the middle. He pointed at Garsiv, "you stop being a pervert, and you already lost one bet and be professional which means no sleeping with her and both, grow up!"

She heard them leave and she made a mad dash out. Tamina could not believe the insolence of the three idiots! They take over her company and now they made a bet on the mountain man sleeping with her. She hated the beard! She hated him!

Her trying period would start from tomorrow onwards- 90 days of pure agony of directing her father's work and just letting it go as if nothing mattered. She knew that within two months, she will have to sit with Dastan and highlight jobs and people who needed to be let go of. Most of the people have been working with her family for over ten years and to have to let them go because she was incapable made guilt embed in her. She could not sleep that night anticipating the next 90 days.


	2. Chapter 2

**Hi All. Thank you for your feedback. Did not think the fic would go far so I am typing as fast as could with a full schedule. So hold on because your feedback means a lot.**

**DAY 1 to 10- Calm Before the Storm**

She walked early wanting to prepare herself for the almighty Dastan but she was surprised to see him sitting at the reception with a nice crisp grey suit. Dastan put away his tab upon seeing her.

"Good morning," he said as he stood up and smiled through his beard. Gosh she hated that beard.

"Good morning," she returned trying hard to hide the surprise.

"I thought I'd come early and do a bit of reading but didn't think about the security clearance. I don't want to call you and they are just doing their job."

"I will get a pass organised for you. We are arranging an office for you, just need to clear someone out of the next office to make way," she lead him into the lift, "well everything has to make way for you now," she mumbled.

"Sorry?"

"Nothing, I was just thinking out loud."

Dastan knew what Tamina mumbled under her breath and this made his mind flood with her initial opinion of her-annoying, shrill, stuck up. However, he had to be professional as Tus advised and he does have to prove himself. He sat at her desk awaiting her highness to come back from her staff round.

He sat up when from his slouch as she walked in. Tamina looked stern and Dastan wanted to make sure that they start off on the right foot.

"Tamina, before we start the day and this whole project, I just want to tell you that I respect what you have built, your family has built and I will give this project the direction required to succeed. I want this to be a partnership."

He awaited a similar feedback from Tamina but she sat down and looked at Dastan.

"Look Dastan, I am sure that is a scripted statement your company gives to all the companies you all decide to take over. The reality is you inherited your company. This company was built from scratch. So you cannot know how difficult it is. Furthermore, I do not need you to steer this company to success as you said it. We ran into some challenges as every company would and we put ourselves up for sale. So it is not a favour you are doing, it is a business deal. What I expect from you is not partnership but professionalism as you would give any peer in the business world. I do not want you to be gentle because I am a woman. I am your equal. Now the next three months would see us having to work together because we have to. So let's not try to be all pleasant but speak our minds and work according to the contract," she concluded and without waiting for Dastan to even acknowledge what she just said, she sat at her desk and continued to switch on her laptop.

He stood there shocked at her little speech but he should not have expected anything more from the princess who got her way her whole life. In his eyes, Tamina just wanted this deal done with so that she can, take the money and move on. Little did he know that he was as stubborn and proud as she was! So since she wants to be treated like anyone else, that is exactly what she would get!

"Well," he finally said, "I can't wait for the next three months."

Tamina's company was a renowned for their bottled water, juices and wines. The water springs from cleanest and pure sources in the Himalayas. They were pioneers in supporting organic farming, self-employment and sustainability in their business of juices and wines. While this was their success, it was also their downfall. Their suppliers turned to large corporations like Empire for their revenue than the homely charm of the Alamut brand. Dastan felt that they did not keep up with the times and Tamina perhaps did not give enough to the company.

The day went by quietly. Tamina practically stacked years' worth of history and policy in front of Dastan and every time he wanted to talk, she gave him post it notes. "Just highlight that area with the post-it and I will answer your questions later," she said with the fakest smile ever.

It was decided that both of them will move into the board room because he had to shadow her. And that is exactly what she allowed him to do. She kept him busy with loads of documents, accounts and meeting where he was not even allowed to put a word in. He sat alone in the canteen while the staff avoided her like the plague. Tamina would never socialize with him except for the pleasantries and work conversations. Dastan never saw her eat or smile or be human for that matter. It was possibly the most tense and uncomfortable week of his life. It was worse now that they shared the boardroom and that uneasy feeling never went away. Dastan tried to joke once and that just went unnoticed. He was sure that her attitude got her alone because her phone never rang for a social call.

However, she _was_ very beautiful. She will be in her business attire, hair in a bun and no makeup on and sometimes when he goes close to discuss matters, he looks at her just a little bit lapsing his concentration. He thought about it one night as his phone rang.

"What's happening? Am I five grand richer?" Garsiv joked over the phone.

"Oh God, she's the worst thing in the world! My balls literally crawl up when she's around! "

Garsiv laughed, "How's the business?"

"I have no idea! She doesn't let me do anything! I just fucking read and eat alone! And she keeps staring at my beard and that's on you Garsiv! May I please cut my hair and shave my beard off," Dastan walked to the balcony of his penthouse apartment and rushed his hand over his hair.

"Bet is a bet and it is a bet you lost. Live with it! Besides only ten more days to go," Garsiv laughed.

At that point, Tus took over the call. "Dastan it's over a week now. Could you stop flirting with her and get to business?"

"I'm not flirting with her! She gave this major speech first day and since then is Director Fury over there," Dastan said.

"Dastan, Dad is counting on you to make this work. He wants to see all his sons get into his business. This is your chance to shine. Remember, this is our first solo project," Tus took the call off speaker and picked up the receiver. "Listen, I know the agreement would let Tamina be a shareholder because Dad is sentimental about her father. But if you can convince her to give it up, this would be good for the company. A clean slate. Otherwise, it will be a liability to drag her around."

Dastan stood quiet for a while, "what about Dad?"

"I will handle Dad. You just make my request happen," Tus replied.

It was another same old tense day. Dastan has been ignored, cut off and covered in sarcastic lines. He had up to his eyeballs in the morning when she insisted on her way on a purchase mini fridge. Tamina sat on one end of the table and Dastan on the other. Asoka was in the middle laying out some slides.

"Tamina, can we go through the estate list. I think if we move some..." he looked up to see Tamina giving a fake smile.

"Put a post it and we will discuss it."

"I also want to talk about..." Dastan wanted to say about their management but Tamina held the post it pads to remind him to 'post it'.

That was it! He wrote 'talk to me' on a post it, walked up to her and stuck it on her forehead! Tamina was caught so unexpected that she blinked. She took it off and read the message. He had already sat on his chair and looked at what he was reading.

"What the hell was that?"

"What was what?' Dastan asked.

"This," she said as she shook the post it in the air.

"Well you wanted me to put a post it on the things I want to talk on and I want to talk to you," he said as he lent back on his chair looking at her fuming.

"Wha…Why are you behaving this way?"

Dastan stood up and raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Wait why am _I_ behaving this way? I was just following your lead," he said.

"I have been nothing but accommodative," Tamina replied.

"You? You have been accommodative? You have been terrible and cold and not helping me with this work!"

"What do you want me to do? Hold your bloody hand and walk you through?"

He crossed his arms against his chest, "Er no but you could actually be nice or try to be nice, pretend to be nice. I don't know, pick one!"

Tamina rested her hands on the table. "I don't have to be nice to you. _You_ are taking over my company!"

"You put it up for sale," he said as a matter of fact.

"That does not mean that it is easy! You lot are used to this! Stomp into a company and just take over."

"I did not stomp into your company! We had a legal agreement and I am asking you to take it seriously and get this done!"

Tamina inhaled and looked at Dastan with a sarcastic smile. "Take you seriously?" she said, "Take you seriously? How am I to take you seriously with that beard?"

"Hey, that's discrimination. We are a diverse workforce and I cannot be singled out for facial hair!"

She stared at his beard, "You look like you have a dog on your face!"

"And you have a bitch on yours," he said as she gasped at his retort.

"I…I am going to go.." Asoka said as he slowly got up from his chair and suddenly both Dastan and Tamina said "Sit!" He sank back down. The staff members on the floor tried their best to concentrate on their work but it was so comical to see the two figures in the two corners going at each other while Asoka just sat in the middle looking down like a child of a divorced couple.

Tamina started to come to Dastan's side, "You are a little brat with next to nothing training and you are here to tell me how to run my company?"

"I know what I am doing Tamina and this is not about how much you know. This is about your attitude and this whole situation! I needed to be included in all the decisions of the company and I want to be treated like you'd treat anyone,' Dastan stated.

"You are not anyone for me to treat you like one. You are taking over my company and I can't help it."

"I told you this is a corporate decision which you made and agreed to. From this day forward, we will work together no matter what even if it kills us and if you make my life difficult I will make yours the same!"

"Are you threatening me?" she gaped at him.

"No..No I am making a statement. Tamina we have to make this happen."

"I don't have to make anything happen," she shouted making everyone stand quiet for a while and Dastan started clearing his side to close for the day. He grabbed his laptop and looked at her, "You want the real me? You're going to get it princess."

She just looked at him walk away and in a huff started packing her things. This is going to be interesting from tomorrow onwards.


	3. Chapter 3

**Hi everyone. Thank you for your reviews. I am typing as fast as I can. Hope you like this Chapter. I know. I know this Fic does not have much writing skills but it's a feel good piece. Love it when the fic can brighten up your day!**

**Chapter 3**

It was not a usual morning. The security smiled at her nervously and as she walked in to her floor, she heard the girls of all ages giggling away. There he was, sitting on a desk laughing with them with a box of madeleines next to him. "Ah there she is! Good morning!"

"Hello," she said as monotone as possible.

"Ladies, it was very nice to speak to you all this morning but now I have to be in the service of your wonderful boss Tamina. I will see you all around and I bid you a wonderful day," he said as he jumped off the desk.

They walked to the board room quietly and she kept her things on the table. "What are you doing?"

"I," Dastan said as he popped a madeleine into his mouth and tried to speak over it but it was just gibberish. He swallowed and spoke again, "I am being myself as you have requested and I am not holding back. And they will be my staff, well some of them, and I have a right to talk to them. Now, let's get to work shall we."

And it all started to fall apart.

The time spent together was pure name calling, bitter, spirited and animated arguments. They disagreed on everything. They disagreed on the estates, the accounts, the press releases and even trivial things such as the placement of the table, coffee machine and to Asoka's dismay-Asoka!

For Tamina, Dastan was too laid back and did not understand the seriousness of the state of affairs. Everything was taken as it comes and she always felt that he did not understand what this switch means to her. To Dastan, she took things too seriously. The deal was done, she will be free in a couple of months but the anxiety in her eyes just showed a mind that worked throughout. He saw that constantly as he sat across her in the conference room.

"Tamina, when will you ever lighten up?" he would ask when she would tense up during the day.

"When you cut that beard, you ape," she would shoot back.

"A week more Tamina, a week more and you are going to regret calling me that!"

Apart from the serious work they do, Dastan does manage to get on Tamina's nerves. One day, just to annoy Tamina Dastan placed breadcrumbs on his beard and spent the whole afternoon talking to her like that. It drove her crazy but as stubborn as she was, she did not want to give him the pleasure of her frustration.

Just to get back at the 'crumbed' beard, Tamina on purpose did not inform Dastan of the conference call with Tus and Garsiv. When he did walk in late for the video conference, Tamina acted all surprised and Tus ended up giving Dastan a half an hour lecture on being professional in Tamina's absence. The next day, to rub salt on his wounds, Tamina was lecturing Dastan about the meeting tomorrow with the Human Resources department and the documents they need to go though. "Meeting at 8.30am. Do. Not. Be. Late," she said. She left the conference room thereafter leaving her phone on the table. As much as it was a despicable invasion of privacy, Dastan picked up the phone and went to the alarm setting. He has always seen her put a reminder and alarm for everything. He simply changed her morning alarm from 6am to 9am. He smiled and as evil as it was, it was fun.

Tamina legs slowly moved in between her sheets. She stretched and tucked her left hand behind her head with eyes still closed. As her eyes slowly peeled open, she wandered how bright it was for 6.00am. She reached over to her side table and took her phone to her hand. She blinked and looked at the screen.

"Shit!"

It was almost 8.00am! She practically flew into the washroom and started brushing her teeth when Asoka called her to check where she was. Tamina did not want to drive in a rush and hailed a taxi to work. It was 8.50am when she got to the meeting where Dastan was laughing with the old HR representatives and the meeting in full swing. After the meeting, the HR team was clearing out when Dastan moved closer to Tamina. "It is very important to be punctual. You should check your alarm settings before important meetings," he winked and walked off. Tamina's jaw fell open in shock. "You knocked off my alarm!"

"You left me out of a meeting princess," he turned and shot back.

Name calling was usual. Dastan's choice name for Tamina was 'Princess' while Tamina called him 'Hobo'. The best was when he saw that she has updated a picture of Zach Galifianakis as his contact picture on her phone. That bread drove Tamina up the wall especially the day when she lost a bet on last year profit numbers and the loser had to touch it!

However, unknown to each other, work was progressing at a good pace and with the push and pull of the two, decisions were better, making the transfer of the company smooth. He was the calm that kept Tamina still when her mind was raging in anxiousness and she gave him the restraint when his creativity took him off his feet.

Asoka came in when the day was almost over, "sorry to interrupt, Tamina Mr Carson called to confirm the high tea tomorrow to discuss on the matters pertaining to the estate. He wants to talk about the bid we made."

"Dear that slipped my mind," she replied, "yes tell him I would and Dastan will join me."

Throughout the exchange, Dastan just shook his head and laughed. "Everything is so Downton Abbey with you!"

She stared at Dastan in annoyance and seeing that he succeeded in getting on her nerves he took on an early 19th century British accent.

"Forgive me my lady, I did not mean to leave heavy on your nerves."

"No one speaks like that you idiot! And you watch Downton Abbey?"

"Yes of course my lady," he got up and bowed, "I will take my leave now."

"Jokes aside, Mr Carson's estate is something I wanted for a long time and he is very cultured," she said.

"So he's a prissy old fart is he?" still with the accent.

"No, he is ...well he is very Downton Abbey," she replied for a lack of a better word.

"So stuck up and pretentious," he asked again.

"No, he is a nice wonderful man who I have known all my life. But he is quite business minded so we have to convince him on the business prospects also. This is going to be your company and this is an important estate. So behave!" she said as she turned to her laptop.

"Yes Nanny McPhee," he said over his shoulder as he left.

"And get better British references," she shouted back.

The next day, Tamina and Dastan left from office for the afternoon tea and Tamina was telling him how important Mr Carson's estate would be for the business. "Look he is a bit old fashioned and he treats me like a child because he practically saw me grow up. We have a good chance of getting his estate with our offer and it would be really good for your company. Put us…I mean the company back on the map," Tamina trailed off as she looked out the window. Both of them had worked very hard in drafting the proposal for Mr Carson, Dastan especially since this was his first business plan presentation. However, he never could understand why everything was so serious with Tamina and decided to lighten up the mood.

"I think I should have a hat on for this meeting," Dastan said as he turned towards her. "And do I say, 'ello Governor' when I see him?" Dastan acted.

"No! And no one speaks like that you crazy...never mind," she said as she looked out again and Dastan was happy that at least for a second, he made her mind trail.

Mr Carson looked like someone from an Enid Blyton story- Short, stout and with a full round figure. He had a thick accent and an old school way of talking which made Dastan's head explode with all the fun retorts in the world which he could have vocalised if not for Tamina's stare across the table. His face was red and his mustache moved so comically when he spoke. He reminisced on the days when Tamina's father first set up the company to how she used to play in the one room office from which the company started from. He never could get the name right though!

"Well let's hear it, Dunstan," Mr Carson said.

"It's Dastan."

"What is my dear boy?"

"My name _is_ Dastan," he replied.

"Yes yes, Dunstan," Mr Carson said again.

The tea was brought in and Dastan went through the proposition with Mr Carson and every time Dastan said a sentence on business benefits Mr Carson replied with a 'jolly good'.

"Well," Mr Carson said when the official meeting was done, "I have ordered the best pastries and sandwiches for you my dear Tamina, and for you Dunstan I have a special pudding. Just for you, yes," he said as he sipped the tea not looking up to his guests.

"It's _Dastan_," Dastan said to which Mr Carson looked up and said, "Where? Is he a friend of yours?"

"Er, no no. Anyway, it is very nice of you to get me a pudding," Dastan said as he had a big gulp of tea which was too hot and burning his tongue, he spit it back into the cup. He put his tongue out in agony when Tamina gestured him to behave. Dastan felt like a little girl in a play house having tea and cake while his host was so thrilled at the setting that he was oblivious to Dastan's playfulness. It seems that Mr Carson spoke about everything including his green thumb. By this time, just to be polite as Tamina warned, Dastan has had about five cakes and pastries!

"Try the scone and jam my dear boy."

Dastan painfully reached for another sweet feeling almost nauseous with all the sugar. "Mmmm," Dastan said acting as best as he could, "I think I'm going to have a stroke with all these sweets." He bit into it with agony, "Oh now I've got scone crumbs on my beard."

"Oh dear," Mr Carson laughed.

"Oh dear indeed," Dastan said as British as he could looking for a smile from Tamina.

"I always liked a good, healthy beard. It is a mark of a good, healthy, masculine bloke," Mr Carson said and turned to the waiter.

"That's what I keep telling her!"

"Now my boy Dunstan, you are going to like his pud. When Tamina said she was bringing our neighbour from across the pond and I thought, 'I must treat him to Spotted Dick' and I got it specially made for you!"

Dastan eyes widened and looked at Tamina "I'm sorry what?"

Tamina knew where Dastan was going with this and covered her mouth with her napkin.

"Spotted dick," Mr Carson said in his thick accent.

"Yes how interesting. So do you pronounce it as 'Spotted dick' like it's polka dots on a dick or as 'Spot a dick' like you are walking down the road and you like ...oh I spotted a dick?" he said pointing to nowhere.

"Um...," Mr Carson thought, "the first one."

"Ok then. Oh they are here," Dastan said as the waiter kept the pudding in front of him.

He took a spoonful into his mouth and not liking raisins his whole life, he hated the taste of the pudding and he kept it in his mouth and said "Wow, yum."

Tamina pressed her lips together to prevent herself from laughing out when she saw that Dastan practically swallowed half without chewing. Mr Carson ate his pudding and insisted that they stay on and enjoy the evening as reward for their hard work. He kissed Tamina and expressed that he was happy to see her with the company and shook Dastan's hand firmly.

"Both _Dunstan_ and myself are very happy to have met you," Dastan smiled.

Before he left, Mr Carson turned and looked at the centerpiece flowers and said, "that is a beautiful specimen of a peonies! Big and pink!"

Dastan through his shock at the wonderful references forced a straight face, "thank you I'm flattered," he whispered to Tamina who passed the laugh as a cough.

He sat back down and took a big gulp of water and smiled at absurdity of the pun. He pushed the leftover pudding, looked at Tamina and said, "would you like to eat the rest of my dick? Or a peonies for that matter? I bet you not had one for a long time!"

All he got in reply was a stern stare. When they returned back to office, Dastan was resting his head on the conference room table. "Ohhhhhh," he moaned as he opened a club soda, "that dick really fucked me over."

Tamina smiled, "I said be pleasant _Dunstan_, not clear the whole high tea menu!"

"Oh we better get the estate now! There's enough sugar in me to satisfy the freaking mad hatter!"

Dastan sat quietly for a while looking at Tamina. It was one of those moments again where her beauty captures him against his own will. She was standing at the head of the conference room table flipping through the book on flowers given by Mr Carson. She had a slight smile and her eyes brightened at the page with lilies.

He shook himself out of the trance and stood up, "Dunstan's off to comb the pastries out of my beard," he exclaimed and walked off. He needed to be away from her. Garsiv cannot win another bet.


	4. Chapter 4

**Thank you so much for your reviews. Hope to hear from all soon!**

**Chapter 4**

"Dastan, hey, it's me," Tus said over the phone.

"I know, I have caller ID!"

"Hilarious! Are you alone?"

"Ya at home, Tus what wrong?" Dastan asked concerned.

"No, nothing's wrong. I just want to see if there's any progress on getting Tamina to give the company up fully."

Dastan stood up and started to pace in his apartment. He was hoping he could avoid this conversation. "Tus I did not have the correct opportunity and," he fell quiet before continuing, "I don't feel right. Dad was specific..."

Tus cut him off before he could continue, "look Dad said that when he was giving us pointers. But I discussed with uncle."

"Uncle? Why was he brought in for this matter?"

"Dastan, he has been a close councilor of Dad. Even I agree that we should try. Now stop making eyes at her and get it sorted. Update me. Miss you, you idiot, "Tus replied and kept the phone.

Dastan pressed his hands on his head in frustration at the request of his brother. He had been working with Tamina closer to a month and he has seen her begin a sad journey to let go of the company. He was beginning to realise that she wanted to hold the 25% shares of the company to keep the connection to what her family built, money aside. As much as he hated to confront Tamina with this proposition, he could not wait to go to work with the new look he was sporting as the bet with Garsiv was finally over.

Tamina was working on an email when Dastan waked into the boardroom that morning.

"Good morning," he greeted.

Tamina replied and only looked up for a second. Suddenly her head shot back up. Dastan was standing at the head of the table logging into the laptop. He was clean shaven and his hair cut short and styled. Keeping her pride and the memories of his warning that she will regret calling him a 'Hobo', Tamina looked away and picked up her mug. "Tea?"

"No thank you, I'm good."

As soon as she was out of his view, her face brightened up and she jumped up and down while mouthing 'oh my gosh'. She was taken by his looks which had been hiding behind that awful beard of his. His eyes were blue! Why had she never noticed that his eyes were blue? His lips were sculpted and turned up at the corners when he smiled just now for few seconds. His smile was wide and finally she sees what it looks like without whiskers. Tamina expected him to look civilized but she did not think he will be gorgeously civilized!

Dastan knew that she noticed but the play went on the whole day where she tried so hard not to stare at him and hide that silly grin she had pasted on her face! 'Dastan the ape' was now 'tall, gorgeous and possibly there is a fabulous body under those clothes' Dastan, she thought and quickly shook them off. Asoka's shock was even better as he did not recognise him for about ten minutes and suddenly it dawned on him that this _was_ Dastan.

Unfortunately or fortunately the change in appearance did not quell down the 'going at each other's throat' part of their relationship.

It had now been over a month and Dastan smiled at what he has accomplished and how far they have come. From hating each other's faces to him having a strange feeling of comfort when she is around, Dastan's feelings have change towards her. He still loved giving her the run around but that was from a perspective of making her lighten up rather than for annoyance as he used to. Once they were working until late and the tiredness made way for an argument about a deal. After few rounds of shouting, Dastan put his hands up, "I give up! I'm going home."

"No you are not! You are not leaving till you get the bloody accounts right!"

"Tamina, we have accountants to do that," he shot back.

"That is not how we work here. This company is famed for its produce and does our own work not just driving a slave market. We're more delicate not like you big corporate hotshots," she shouted back as he left.

"Maybe more time doing your work and less time other's, the company would still be yours," he shot back not looking and with her persistent silence, he knew that he had won the battle.

"Oh, it's a miracle. You're finally quiet," he turned to see her holding her temple and looking faint. He started to walk back. "Tamina, what's wrong?"

"I…I don't feel…"

He made her sit down and went to the window to get her some water. "Just drink some water it might be the stress," he said and not gaining a reply from her, he called out turning, "Tamina can you hear me?"

There she was standing at the other side of the conference room door, holding up the key!

"Yes Dastan I can hear you!"

Dastan rushed to the door and shook the door. "You? You locked me in? You bi…"

"Ah ah be nice to the one with the key! Now sit your pretty arse down and work out the account," she winked at him and started to walk away while he shouted back. It took 45 minutes to complete it and Dastan had to email it to her before she opened the door. They were still for about three second before Dastan chased her around the empty office.

"Oh the dashing Dastan rushed to assist the fallen beauty," she mocked.

"Oh you are branding _yourself_ a beauty? You know what? I'm 32 years old and I am going to act like an adult and bow out. Good night Tamina," he shot back and walked off. Tamina knew it was too good to be true and she found out why. The next morning, she came to work to find every single item on her side of the table covered wrapped in newspaper and masking tape – every pen and pencil, the mouse, laptop, mug, stapler. Everything!

Tamina was having a hard time understanding Dastan as the days went by. She was sure that he was from the monstrous corporate world but it was strange how he was the only one who manages to calm her down. He is also dedicating his time and great effort to the company. Mr Carson had been so happy with his work that he called the very next day of meeting to confirm that the estate is theirs. He had however, incessantly requested to know of her plans on keeping the company shares. "Wouldn't you want a clean slate?" he had asked the day before as they had lunch in the conference room. She thought for a while and answered, "I need to have this link to the company. I just do. Strangely, it is like a calling which I cannot seem to run away from. "

After a month had passed, it was clear to Tamina that the company is in fact going away from her. This made her even more anxious and worrisome that overreacting was becoming a norm. In one such episode, she rushed into the conference room, "Dastan, gosh, there's an issue!"

Dastan sat up in a hurry and mirroring her worried face said, "Why? Have they taken the hobbits to Isengard?"

"What?"

"Lord of the rings? The two towers? The looping video? Olando Bloom? He's one of yours," Dastan was surprised that she had not heard of it which led him to sing it a bit, "you know, 'they have taken the hobbits to Isengard, gard, gard, gard, gard, gard!"

Tamina rolled her eyes, "Dastan be serious! The papers to the lawyers are due today!"

"Calm down, I got that done. Geesh Princess, you need to relax," he smiled and Tamina sat down in relief. Unfortunately that was not the end of the Hobbits. The song was stuck in Dastan's head throughout the day and even at the department meeting, he kept whispering to himself, 'the hobbits, the hobbits, the hobbits, the hobbits, the hobbits, the hobbits to Isengard' gaining a stare from Tamina. Since she has not seen it, he took the liberty to send the link to her. Tamina acted uninterested and slowly watched it when Dastan stepped out and closed the window as she did not want to give him the pleasure of her enjoying his childish games. That was not the solution in dead of the night as she laid on her bed Tamina suddenly went, "the hobbits, the hobbits, the hobbits, the hobbits, the hobbits, the hobbits to Isengard". Realising it has got into her head, she buried herself in the covers and lamented, "errrrr Dastan!"

They were well into the second month of the transfer. And Tamina hated coming to work today as it was the date she had to start the process of planning job cuts. She had announced to the staff at the beginning of the week on the job cuts and they had been somber throughout and not even Dastan could lift her spirits. By afternoon, the conference call with Tus was completed and the blueprint was received.

They looked over the numbers and Tamina noted that three hundred and forty one jobs needed to be cut making her sick. She had gone through the factory numbers and there were thirty two more to go from the main office where she was at. It was almost 6.30pm and Dastan could not find her to say that he was going off for the day. He checked the library and called Asoka. "Check her father's office," he said.

Dastan opened the door, looking around, whispered her name. It was quiet except for a muffled cry from under the vast desk. He went over to the back and looked under the table. There she was, sitting under the table with her knees to her chin and tears trailing down her face. His heart swelled.

"Hey...hey. Are you alright?"

"Yes. It's perfectly natural for a freaking 27 year old to hide under a desk and cry," Tamina retorted making Dastan feel that she was somewhere in there. It was a tall large desk and Dastan moved under the it, hitting his head on the hard wood and leaned on the opposite side to her rubbing his head. He was over six feet tall so he had to tilt his head to fit in and looked like a cramped Jack in the Box, He gave his handkerchief to her and looked at her wiping her tears. They sat quiet for a minute.

"I used to play under this table when I was little," she began to speak, "my dad had to sit at the other side because I will be under the table with my dolls. I was always here when I was sad or heartbroken which was always. I just wanted to be here now with this stupid job cuts."

She started to tear up again, "Robert in shipping had a heart attack because he was worried about his job. He thought about it so much."

"Hey, hey you did not cause that. It.. Shit happens but you know we have to make this decision," he said.

"I can't. I can't," she cried, "I have known some of them my whole life. They have kids and because I could not do my job, they..."

"No Tamina no...if anything it's me who should be blamed. Look, I'll stay with you and we will get this done and we will give the notices as soon as possible. We will help them find jobs and everything will be fine. Now come on before my neck breaks. It is killing me right now," Dastan joked making Tamina smile.

He got out and reached his hand out to her. Dastan took her to the boardroom and took the summary papers of the staff out. He put the papers together and cut the top off so that their names were removed.

"Now I want you to look at the qualification and their previous performance and tell me the best candidate for the remaining seats. As terrible as it sounds, don't think about a person. Think about matching a profile to a seat," he smiled. He placed a profile on the center, "now, tell me about this employee."

Tamina stood with her hands crossed, her mind too stubborn to follow Dastan's guidance but finally she started talking. For the next four hours, Dastan helped Tamina go through the most difficult choice she had to make so far. It was closer to midnight when they were finished.

"Let me drop you home."

"No, I...I'm ok and I'll drive back."

With that she walked away leaving Dastan standing at the lobby. When she reached home, she took a family album out and looked at the old photographs of her parents including the first day they opened for business. She reached for her handbag for tissues and she came across Dastan's handkerchief. She never thanked him.

'Thank you for helping me. And you are right, it IS your fault!' she messaged.

Dastan was unable to sleep worried if she went home safe when his phone lit up. He read the message and satisfied that she is well. He turned to sleep. The next day she returned his handkerchief to him with a smirk, "I'm going to remember you carry handkerchiefs and make fun of you later."

Dastan and Tamina were working at the two sides of their tables when the conference room telephone began to ring. Dastan just hit the speaker button and continued working. "Hello?"

"Hey little brother, you lost your virginity yet to the …" before Garsiv can finish the sentence, Dastan almost jumped on to the table, fumbled the receiver and took it off speaker.

"Garsiv! Hello! You were on speaker there for a moment," he said and looked at Tamina who was continuing her work unaffected or so it seemed.

Garsiv laughed, "listen, we need you back for about a week."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why you idiot! You actually belong to this family so get your ass here because we are having an extraordinary general meeting," Garsiv said.

"What's that about?"

"Uncle is worried about Dad and he wants to spread some work around. Dad needs to take easy Dastan."

Dastan thought for a while, "I know Uncle means well but he seems very cogent.."

"Cogent? What you fucking ate the Oxford Dictionary there? Listen, I have to go but will email you the information and see you soon idiot," Garsiv said.

Dastan kept the receiver and looked occupied.

"Is everything alright Dastan?" Tamina asked.

"Oh yes… yes. They just want me back for about a week."

"Do you know when you will be back? The Beverage Association is having the Annual Dinner Dance and it is on the 12th. I was going to talk to you about it," Tamina said.

"Wow a dinner dance? Like a ball? And when I just thought it could not get any cheesier," Dastan laughed.

"Well I don't normally go but they are giving an award, well more like an achievement plaque for my father's work. They know this is the last time this company will belong to my family."

"Oh wow that is nice. Yes, I will be there. I will make it somehow," Dastan replied.

The time without Dastan was very strange for Tamina. She looked at his side of the table and noted how her days are dull without his amusing company. Dastan also missed the little fireball and looked forward to the daily business call they had so that he can keep up with things. It was the fourth day and it was now getting to the point where they strangely began to miss each other.

"That is all the agenda items," Tamina said.

"Great so I will talk to you again tomorrow," Dastan replied.

"It's Saturday."

"Oh ya… so then on Monday. We will talk on Monday," he said disappointed.

"Dastan before you go, we are allowed six slots for the Beverage Association event. I'm getting two tickets for Asoka and his wife. I was wondering if you were bringing a plus one so that I can get another ticket for you," Tamina said nervously.

"A date? Well are you brining one?"

"Of course not! Who do I have to bring?" Tamina replied.

"Well I will be single too at the event. It should be more of a business thing. So let's go single together."

"Yes, you're right. Good. Well I will speak to you on Monday," she replied and exited the conference call.

Unfortunately for Dastan, Garsiv was in the room."Ohhhh Dastan's going for a ball! A little Cinderella aren't you," Garsiv teased.

"Who is a Cinderella Daddy?"

Garsiv's little girl rushed to him and he carried her in a swift motion, kissing her cheek.

"Uncle Dastan is baby! He is a wery pwetty boy and he is going to ball because he thinks he is a prince and then the next morning Daddy will get a lot of money from Uncle Dastan."

"It is a _Business _event!"

"If you say so," Garsiv said as he left the room.

Dastan's niece went to him and lent against his knee, "Uncle Dastan, will there be princesses at the ball?" she asked innocently.

"Well, there will be one princess but not as pretty as you," he said as he kissed her. Suddenly, Dastan's mind went to Tamina's face. This is what it must be to miss someone.

He could not wait for Monday and when the call finally came through, it was a different Tamina on the other side. She was preoccupied and was not concentrating on the matters at hand so much so that she blanked out for a minute. Concerned at the change in Tamina, Dastan called Asoka privately.

"Asoka, hey um…listen is Tamina alright?"

"Dastan, you know I cannot…" Asoka hesitated.

"Look I'm just worried because she was so out of her element and you know how she is. This is not her."

Asoka was silent for some time and finally began speaking, "She found out that her ex-husband will be at the Beverage Association dinner. He is in town now."

"Wait, I thought he was diplomatic staff or something," Dastan asked confused.

"Family owns a company. That's how they met. But this and the retrenching of staff and being alone without you …it's just too much for her," Asoka trailed off.

Dastan kept the phone down and looked out of his office in New York. He was so far away and he could not be there for her. He opened his laptop and searched for an online florist. Picking the biggest arrangement of white lilies, he ordered it to be delivered to Tamina. He knew it will brighten her day up just as that day when she looked at the book Mr Carson gave.

As the days in New York ended, Dastan's mind was heavily occupied with the board meetings. Uncle Nizam seem to be very interested in the inaugural project the brothers are doing and he had been eager to 'lesson your father's workload' as he put it. It was just suspicion now but Dastan knew there was something being crafted.


	5. Chapter 5

**Hi Everyone! Thank you so much for your kind reviews. It makes me so happy to know that I can brighten up your day. Work is terrible so you might have to wait a little more for the next Chapter. I am trying to bridge with the movie but not in the order it appears. Love to all and cannot wait to hear from you!**

**Chapter 5**

"Hey, we're outside," Dastan said over the phone as he pulled up to Tamina's house and parked across the road. Dastan had not seen Tamina for nearly two weeks and he was surprised at how eager he was to see her face in flesh. It was drizzling at that time and Paul stepped out with an umbrella to Tamina's doorstep. The water droplets on the window screen made Dastan's vision blur but he could see her silhouette as she turned to lock her door. She had a heavy black coat on against the cold wet wind and she slowly bent down and collected the hem of her long dress to avoid it getting wet.

When they crossed the road, Dastan opened the car door and scooted to the right so that she can get in. Tamina got in and closed the door with her face turned away from Dastan. She suddenly turned and smiled at Dastan and said, "Hello, welcome back!"

It took Dastan all he had to control himself when he saw her face. Her hair was up in a style which made it look unkempt on purpose. Her doe eyes were framed with light shadow and the lips, gosh the lips were almost translucent and he just looked at her for a breathtaking moment. "Hey," he finally said.

"You look very nice in a tux," Tamina smiled.

"Me? You I'm sure will steal the show today," he replied and looked straight ahead just to keep his sanity.

It was a quiet ride to the event with both Tamina and Dastan nervous for the same cause but different reasons. Tamina knew that there was a chance that Kosh would be there and, not having seen him for three years, she was unsure of how she would react. Dastan was nervous for her as suddenly her sadness seems a lot to bear in his own heart.

When they arrived, Dastan jumped out and ran to the other side to take her hand and help her out.

"You're being gentleman. I'm worried," she joked and Dastan, for once, did not have any witty remark.

They went to the entrance of the hall and she took off her coat and it revealed the beautiful mustard cold shoulder dress she wore. Its material draped itself beautifully around her and made her appear as a Greek goddess. Dastan just stood behind her as she checked her coat in and looked at her alabaster skin. This was first time he saw her out of stiff business attire and he inhaled in the vision. It felt like everything moved in slow motion and he just mouthed 'wow'. He came back when Tamina turned and called him to go and to Tamina's surprise, offered his arm to escort her in.

The first part of the event was boring to say the least as it was speech after speech by the committee and the guest speakers. Dastan sat on Tamina's left and the kept himself busy by looking at her every move. When she smiled, when she turned back, when she put her drink to her lips, he looked with adoring eyes. He lapped it up when she leaned in towards him to whisper and as she looked down in anxiousness of the possibility of meeting her former husband, Dastan would nudge her and say a remark to make her smile. Her mind was too busy to notice but Asoka observed them quietly with concern.

When she was called up to receive the award for the company, Dastan stood up and helped her off the chair. She looked so beautiful in the spotlight. She gave the history of the company and then came the final few words. She looked at the paper in her hand and put it down. There was a pause before she spoke.

"I did not like business. I used to cringe at it. But my father used to say 'I know you hate business Tami, but your mother and I built this company for you baby. You wait and see! You will sit on this throne one day'," her voice broke and he wished he could run to her.

"Unfortunately, when it did come to me, it came at a great cost. Now as I sand here with a month to go before I leave the company, I regret all the days I ran away from what clearly is my calling. This company was built by two people out of love, courage and persistence. It did not make business sense and it was not business that made them build it. It was for me. Most of you in this room are here because someone in our family, past or present, built something on a vision even if it did not make any business sense. My family's legacy will soon be over and it will join another family legacy, Empire Corporation." Tamina's and Dastan's eyes met. He smiled back at her and knew in his heart the pain she must be in. She continued, "I take this today, not as a testament to a great business but even more for a testament of love and destiny. Thank you for honoring my family."

The hall rose to their feet and applause broke out. Dastan suddenly knew at that moment that he must save her company for her. The rest of the dinner was spent in quiet contemplation by Tamina and her fear that when she looks up, Kosh, her ex-husband will be there. Mr Carson was keeping Dastan busy and when he finally broke away, he was greeted by an empty chair. He looked around and spotted her across the room taking to someone who he strangely felt was Kosh.

Dastan looked at Tamina and he has never seen her as unsure and frail in mind as she was talking to him. It was not the Tamina he knows and before his mind said the word 'loved' he shook it off. They were across the vast room closer to the demarcated dance floor. He kept talking in very authoritative manner as Tamina held her hands in each other. She does that when she is scared, he has seen it a few times.

Tamina could not believe what Kosh was saying to her! The flowers were not from him and he has now taken it on to lay a barrage of insults on her. He had a smile on his face plastered so that those around do not know the nature of the conversation. He always used to do that when he reprimanded her in public when they were together. He spoke his final words which cut through like a knife, "honestly Tamina, you have been hanging on to me and this stupid notion of a relationship with us. It's getting too old! Leave me alone!"

With the pain of the words, Tamina swiftly turned to rush out of the hall as people looked on. She felt her cheeks smart in embarrassment and hurt and tears were blurring her vision. No sooner than she took two steps, a body met her and took her hands to his. She looked up to see Dastan smiling.

"Look at me, look at me," he whispered and searched for her eyes as the music started.

"Don't run off now, people are looking and that man does not deserve the credit of that scene. Look at me," he said again as her head began to fall in sadness.

"Ok now pretend I'm asking you to dance. Nod your head," he smiled and let go of her left hand and kept his hand on the small of her waist.

"We'll dance to this song and let's go home," he whispered to her as his face closed in to hers.

Dastan cannot remember the song or how he remembered all the steps but he just held her, hand and waist, close to his body. She smelled divine and his lips were inches away from her shoulder that he just wished he could press his lips on it.

"Are you smiling?" he asked.

"No!"

"Then pretend I said a joke and smile. Or think about that lady's back cleavage. Let me turn you to her," he said and slowly swayed her around to see making her smile.

She looked up at him and he could not believe how a man could break her heart.

"Now pretend I am the sexiest man in the room and give my ass a good squeeze...which will be easy because I am the sexiest man in the room," he said with a cheeky smile which she met.

"Anything else you want me to pretend to do Dastan?"

He leaned back towards her and continued to dance. Tamina felt so safe in Dastan's arms so close to him that she could feel him. She closed her eyes and almost laid her head on his shoulder when the song ended. Dastan did not want to let go of her and wished they could continue. However, he wanted to keep his to her promise and led her out.

"I need to go to the cloak room," she said.

"Cloak room? Do they keep the daggers there too?" he joked.

Dastan went to say his goodbyes to Asoka. "I'm taking Tamina home. The Kosh idiot…" before Dastan could finish Asoka acknowledged what had happened.

"I don't know why he sent her flowers and treat her like this," Asoka said as he sipped his drink.

"What? No, no, no, no, no! I sent her the flowers," Dastan replied shocked.

"What? Why did you send her flowers?"

"Because you said she was upset and I wanted to cheer her up. I thought it was cute to be a mystery."

"Not cute! Very bad idea! And lilies at that! That's her favorite and only two people in this world who has sent her lilies, her father and Kosh!"

"Shit! Is that why she wanted to talk him? She thought the flowers were from him? Oh no," Dastan held his head at the sadness that it was him who caused her the pain today.

He made his way out to Tamina who was standing at the exit with his guilt. His mind was battling between telling her and holding it secret. But she smiled as he reached her. That beautiful sweet smile glowed and he decided that the flowers can wait for some time.

"I'm going to treat you to some macaroons and hot chocolate or tea, whatever you like. I know a great place," he said as he led her to the car.

"You? The American who possibly learnt the geography of the area from 'Notting Hill' knows a great place he can take the native to? Is it a house with the blue door?" she gave a cheeky smile.

They went to a little lane and ran into the doorstep of the shop fashioned out of a cottage. It was closed but seeing Dastan, the keeper opened the door and let them in. They sat down near the window and waited for the macaroons and tea to be brought in.

"So you had a tough night," Dastan said.

"That is an understatement. But I got to say goodbye to the company in a proper way. Could have done without ex-husband drama though," she replied as she stirred her tea.

"Can I ask what happened?"

"Me and Kosh? I met him when I was sixteen and fell in love. It was too late when I figured out that I was more in love with the idea than him. I was like a zombie. I left my friends, my family and followed him around. I left this company, my Environmental Studies everything. Four years after, he divorces me when," she hesitated, "when we figured out I…I can't have kids."

Dastan looked at her wondering how he should react. "I'm sorry but it's a bit medieval of him to leave you for that," he said making her laugh.

"No, our marriage was registered in another country which allowed that as a reason for divorce. Do you mind, I don't want to talk about it right now," she shook her head.

"Of course," he nodded.

"May I ask you something?"

"Go ahead."

"How come you all have funny names?" Tamina inquired.

Dastan laughed. "Well we have a Persian origin in my Dad's side so to be true to our heritage, we have Persian names."

"Wow a Persian? How exotic!"

"Yes, it's quiet interesting. I'm a Prince of Persia," Dastan winked making Tamina smile

"So how come your name is Tamina?" Dastan asked.

"My mother was a history teacher. How come you are single your highness?" Tamina probed.

"Well you saw me with the beard! Who would want to date me? Jokes apart, I have not found someone yet. You know, I might have to wait, I'll never give up. I guess it's half timing and the other half's luck.

Wherever you are, whenever it's right, she'll come out of nowhere and into my life," he said with a charming air.

Tamina put her tea cup down.

"Well thank you Michael Buble. You idiot," she said annoyed and amused at the same time while Dastan threw his head back in laughter.

"What was the beard about anyways? And the hair" she continued.

"Oh that. There was this girl and Garsiv warned me that she is a bit shallow. I on the other hand decided I should date her. So Garsiv bet me not shaving and cutting my hair if she leaves me. There we go," he said and finished another macaroon.

The rain had turned persistent and Tamina looked at the time. "Oh we have to go before the rain turns into a storm."

"Only a princess would think she could outrun a storm," he replied.

"I'm not scared. I have your handkerchief to protect me," she shot back.

"Ohhh finally the promised handkerchief joke!"

They got into the car and Tamina removed her coat which was now wet. They rode silent to Tamina's, her mind once again working on the words Kosh said. As much fun it was talking to Dastan, she could not shake the poison out. She kept her hand on the empty seat and seeing her in pain again, Dastan whispered her name and kept his hand on hers.

Tamina's head turned to him with her breath hastening at the feel of Dastan's hand on hers, so intimate and strong. He saw her, he saw her pain. Pain he felt he caused and out of the blue, Dastan broke the silence.

"I sent you the flowers," he blurted.

"What?"

"I sent you the flowers to cheer you up and I'm so sorry," he repeated.

Tamina pulled her hand fiercely from his and squeezed her eyes, covered them with her hands. "What?" she shouted again.

"I'm sorry."

"Why did you send me flowers?" she questioned.

"Because you sounded like you were feeling down when I called you on Monday!"

"What the fuck Dastan," Tamina cursed.

"I think 'thank you' is the more appropriate word," Dastan replied.

"Thank you? You want me to say thank you for making a fool of myself?" Tamina asked furious at his reply.

Before he could say anything, she demanded Paul stop the car and got off in the rain without a coat. Dastan followed her rushing without an umbrella.

"Tamina! Tamina," he called after her and ran a few steps to meet her. The rain had soaked her to the bone by this time but she was still beautiful as ever.

"What Dastan? What do you want?"

"I want you to be alright," he said over the rain.

"Oh you want me to? You should have thought about that when you sent me anonymous flowers! Or at least tell me because I thought it was from him and that is why I spoke to him. "

"I thought you would guess it was from me and you can't blame me fully," he replied frustrated.

"Why would I ever guess it was from you," she shouted back as she paced up in the rain trying to hail a cab. The rain was falling hard and the wetness made her dress cling to her body. A taxi finally pulled up at the side of the road.

"You are a terrible person from a terrible company who will steal all I have away from me Dastan. Why would I ever think it was you who will send me fucking lilies?"

"Because I care!"

As soon as the words left Dastan's lips, both stood as pillars facing each other as the water poured over them. Tamina looked at Dastan's eyes which were so pleading as he tried to reach to her.

"I care. More than from a stupid company perspective. I care when you hurt because you have to give away your company. I care when it breaks your heart when you have to let go of your staff. I care that stupid jackasses like your ex-husband make you feel so belittled that you, the wonderful you, disappear into nothing. So I care! Don't you dare think I don't," Dastan said and he placed his right hand on the side of her neck.

She was cold to his touch and closed her eyes when she felt his hand on her. Dastan waited for her to resist but was greeted with her looking back into his eyes.

He placed his left hand on her cheek and pulled her to him. The feel of her lips on his was soft and felt so warm through the cold rain. He caught her upper lip on his and wanted to pull her closer when she drew away. She did not say a word and looked grave and in pain. She got into the cab and sped away leaving him in the rain.


	6. Chapter 6

**Hi everyone. Sorry it took so long. Thank you so much for your encouraging reviews and hope to hear from you all soon. Hope you like this chapter!**

**Chapter 6**

Tamina ignored Dastan's calls throughout the weekend and having no response from her, he too gave up hoping it would give her space. Monday morning was a very anxious time but when he stepped into the conference room, it was Asoka who greeted him. It seems that Tamina will not be coming in today without a reason given for the absence.

While his mind was preoccupied with the work and Tamina's absence, Garsiv popped up on the video conference.

"Go away," Dastan said with a hard face.

"Is this the way to talk to your elder brother? Especially since you went for a certain ball and never reported back," Garsiv replied.

"Don't be a girl!"

"Don't be an ass! Tell me what happened because I have five grand invested in it," Garsiv shouted.

Dastan finally looked at him. "Nothing happened."

"Something happened because you will not say nothing happened unless something happened. I live with two women. I know what 'nothing' actually means," Garsiv laughed.

"Asoka is here and he will vouch that _nothing_ happened," saying that Dastan turned the camera to Asoka who looked up nervously.

"I..I don't want to get in the middle of brotherly stuff," he replied hesitantly.

"ohhh that is a 'something has happened' reply!"

"Asoka!" Dastan lamented.

"Hey Asoka, did he make groggily eyes at her?" Garsiv asked and both awaited an answer from Asoka.

"Go ahead answer. I know there is nothing," Dastan said.

Asoka looked at Garsiv, "yes."

Dastan was shocked while Garsiv celebrated by throwing his hands in the air.

"Ok ok and he looked at her lips when she spoke?'

"Yes," Asoka replied enticing even more celebrating from Garsiv.

"You are mistaken Asoka. It's not like you captured the moments, its hearsay!"

"I have a photograph," Asoka said plainly.

"What? You took a picture of me?" Dastan questioned.

"No I took a picture of my wife and you two were in the background. You can see it when you zoom in."

"Show it!" Garsiv pleaded.

"I'm your boss Asoka and I am ordering you not to," Dastan tried to negotiate.

"I own more shares than him! I am the bigger boss. Now show me," Garsiv demanded.

Asoka looked at Dastan, "fine let's see it."

He zoomed in the picture and held it up to the camera. There he was, Dastan with a calm and tranquil smile on his face looking at Tamina while she looked on at the hall. Garsiv almost fell off his chair in joy and as much as Dastan hated being wrong, he looked at the photograph with a hint of a blush.

"So my account number is 0978..." before Garsiv could complete Dastan waved at him and disconnected the video call.

"I'm sorry," Asoka said.

"It's fine. All for good fun," Dastan smiled.

"Dastan, you must know you can't."

"Can't what?"

"This thing you have towards Tamina. You are the person taking over her company. Giving her the impression that it is something..." Asoka stopped abruptly.

They both stayed quiet for a while. As Dastan started to speak, Tamina walked in to both their surprise. After casually getting updated for the work completed, she requested to speak to Dastan in private and they went to her father's office which gave them that privacy.

"I wanted to talk to you about us, the way we have been behaving," Tamina said as Dastan felt uneasy about what is to follow.

"Tamina, I said I'm sorry about the flowers," he said in sincerity.

"That is the thing Dastan! There shouldn't be any flowers to begin with. There shouldn't be running around the office trying to catch each other, there shouldn't be surprise muffins and madeleines in the morning, there shouldn't be teasing and laughing and banter," she looked down.

"And there shouldn't be kissing," she said.

Dastan strangely knew where this conversation was about from the start. He pressed his lips together and nodded.

"Right! I knew it will come to that," he said in annoyance and turned away.

"We are two people who are working together for a very serious matter. We should not be trying...," she hesitated, "we behaved like teenagers and I am not saying that you did this all alone I mean I played my part. But I promise it will stop now. We are adults! We are business partners for the next forty days or so. We should behave like that."

Dastan's mind was traveling and wondering what reply he should give her. He thought about what Asoka said moments ago and it kept pulsating in his mind. He thought about how it is going to be for her when he, the man who is taking away a part of her life, is trying to start a relationship. Worst of all, Tus still had not let go of the idea of convincing Tamina forego her shares. Tus had intimated that if she does not fold the shares to them, he will take away the voting rights, calling her a 'liability'. He knew that if he tries to argue with her now, she will retrieve back to her cold ways. Better her cordial than cold.

"Yes," he simply said and walked away.

Tamina did not feel glad or that she was successful. It just felt like her usual self running away from the life she wants. For the first time she felt excited, hopeful and alive and that was because of Dastan. He made her a better person. Now, because it is inappropriate and, well, she simply did not know why, she decided to put a stop to it. She always thought long term. What was she going to do when in about a month he takes the company? Be his girlfriend? Let him take the company and then her dignity?

The worse time was not when they were alone with each other but alone in their own worlds. Dastan constantly went back to the day he held her while they danced. He could feel her hand on his left shoulder so gentle. He could see how her hazel eyes smiled at him when he was his usual witty self. His eyes fell close and he inhaled in deeply to as if to breath in the memories. He leaned against his balcony railings. He finally found someone who he feels so unworthy to even be around, someone whose happiness weighed heavy as his responsibility. To his sadness, her happiness was that he would be far from her life. This was temporary, he would recover he told himself over and over again. It was repeating on his mind when he was next to her going through the proposal for staff payoffs. He looked at her lips and that curve where her neck met her shoulder. His lips burned to kiss her there.

His days were made even somber and worrisome with the news that his father's health has taken a turn and Uncle Nizam has more Power of Attorney in the company. He, however, did not give up working on an alternate plan to keep Tamina's company, a decision he made when Tamina gave the speech that day. But he was backed up against a deadline which was pressing against him. He had it all mapped in his mind and was reviewing the documents when there were three bids from an anonymous Trust made through the same law firm 'Hassansin'. The bids have been competitive to what Empire had been bidding, almost if they knew Empire's price.

He was in the conference room when she saw Tamina talking to Asoka near the lift just as she arrived at work. He could not hear her but the way she spoke, how her lips moved and as she tucked her hair behind her ear, made his heart melt. He rushed past them and stepped outside. It was just past three in the morning when Garsiv's phone vibrated on the side table. He saw Dastan's caller ID and assured his wife it was fine.

"It's called time zones you fucker! So when the sun is shining on your ass, it's still fucking three in the morning here," Garsiv said annoyed.

"I love her," Dastan blurted out.

Garsiv took a deep breath, "I know."

"What?" Dastan said.

"I said I know! I knew when you sat across her and inhaled when she signed the papers. You had that stupid look," Garsiv smiled as the conversation went on.

Tamina was not any better. She thought of Dastan constantly, even when he was right across her in the conference room. Everything was so desolate with the absence of Dastan's voice of reason and calm. She saw his demeanor change towards her, all the comments untold, all the times where he would have made her smile, all the times where she would look up and catch him look, at her. They were all gone. It was a straight professional relationship which was so foreign. Asoka finally told her how the flowers had come about. How he had seen her pain and decided it would be lilies because her face lit up when she looked at them in Mr Carson's book than the other flowers. She was tossing in her bed thinking how it took one year for Kosh to remember her favourite flowers were lilies even after she told him point blank.

Two weeks have gone with them in their new personas. The day was tough and the tension in the room was killing. It was work and uneasiness around the conference room day in and day out so much so that she never realised they are within a month of the takeover.

All was going well when Tamina realised that night that she has not been given the letters for the final signoff. It was past ten when she checked her emails hoping the final draft has been at least mailed to her. Nothing! She messaged Asoka and paced around until it she got a reply. It read, "Dastan wanted me to hold back till he was back from New York." As furious as she was, it was more that now she had an excuse to scream at him.

Dastan had packed to leave to New York with his master plan to save a company which is completely against what Tus wanted but he is hoping he can get enough support to push this through. It was almost eleven when his doorbell rang and he quickened to it to pick up his pizza.

"Tamina," he said surprised when he opened the door.

"You're surprised?"

"Yes I am…I was expecting takeout and then there's you. So yes surprised," he replied.

"You did not think I would want to see you when I find out you have scrapped giving the notices to staff? We have one month to go and you ask Asoka, Asoka, to delay it not even me," Tamina screamed.

"Ouch Tamina, lower your voice, only dogs can hear you right now," he turned and walked in expecting her to follow.

He turned, "well if you are going to shout at me, please come inside."

She walked in and closed the door. "What are you doing? You know how hard it was for me to choose the people to retrench and organise payoffs and you pull it out?"

"I know how hard it was. I was there," he replied starting to get irritated with Tamina being her usual assuming self.

"I still am the Director of the company until you and your horrid brothers decided to take over my company!"

Dastan threw his hands in the air, "for the millionth time you put the company up for sale. We bought it to save your pretty ass."

"Oh thank you for coming to my rescue," she said sarcastically. "Stop playing with people Dastan!"

"I'm not playing. You're here screaming your head off. Do you know at least know why you are screaming?"

"I am screaming because you deserve to be screamed at. You didn't even care about your own company, busy in your silly little tours, living it up with Daddy's money and missed half the negotiations which Tus did. You think you can get away with anything. You know you really behave like spoilt little rich self-satisfied boy in a man's body! No doubt it comes from being told since birth the world is yours, and actually believing it. Everyone is not lucky like you to be born into fucking empire," she spat.

"I wasn't born into luck. I did not have as much as you when I was born. You had parents. I had nothing. Picked up off the streets," Dastan shouted back and was dumbfound at his own boldness.

"What," Tamina asked.

"I'm adopted."

As soon as the words left Dastan, she fell back on the couch. He avoided looking at her, almost out of shame that he revealed it this way rather than the fact itself. .

"My dad found me begging. I mean my dad now. He took me in, he gave me a family, and he gave me a home. And the _'tours'_ I took was tours of duty to Afghanistan as a RHP," he finally said in annoyance.

"A Right-Handed Pitcher?" Tamina asked confused.

"No, a Rescue Helicopter Pilot. Like your freaking future king," he said as he sat next to her yet doubting himself to look at her. They both sat quiet. Tamina did not want to talk about it further knowing the pain she heard in his voice.

"I did not want the letter circulated because I am trying to do it better," Dastan finally said looking at her.

"What do you mean?"

"I have been working on a proposition to present to my Board, well my family. I am trying to…" Dastan hesitated.

"Tamina I don't want you to get your hopes up and I just wanted to get it sorted before I told you anything," he said turning towards her.

"Now I confused," Tamina said.

"I am trying to get you more time with the company," he finally said hiding the truth just enough so that he does not give her hope.

"But why? A deal is a deal. That's…That's impossible," Tamina said afraid to be hopeful.

"Difficult, not impossible. That day, at the dinner when you gave your speech, I think that was the first time you stopped running away from the real calling. You seemed happy that you were a part of it at least at the end. But I saw you want more, regret more and I just wanted to do this for you, give you more time. Ninety days is just impossible to say goodbye to a lifetime of work from your family. I mean what I said that night, I care" he said.

He looked at her and she at him, all she could see was his blue eyes. He leaned in to her and Tamina suddenly got up.

"I..I need to go," she stuttered.

"Of course you do," he mumbled under his breadth and hung his head low until he heard the door close.

"Oh Tamina, you drive me crazy," he exclaimed as he walked to his room. The doorbell rang again for the pizza and he rushed to the door and opened it to find Tamina again.

"Will I never get pizza?" he said.

Tamina did not know why she was here but she knew it felt right to be here. She lunched forwarded, circled her hands around his neck and pulled herself to capture his lips.

Dastan was taken aback but the feel of the woman he so strongly desired was enough to leave him senseless. Dastan threw the door closed and pushed them against it.

Tamina broke the kiss, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," Dastan said as he lowered his lips to hers.

"I thought you said Ikea," Tamina said over the kiss.

"What?" 

"When you said 'I care' earlier I thought you said Ikea," she explained.

They laughed at the silliness and the unbelievable situation they just got themselves in.

"Are you sure?" Dastan said as he rested his forehead on hers. All he got in reply was a nod before she rested her palms on his cheeks.

The touch of their hands on each other was all they wanted to feel and their lips hardly separated as they made their way to the room. Everything moved as a dream. The way it felt to hold her hands, to remove the clip on her hair and watch it fall and to look into each other's eyes when they remove the clothes keeping them apart. She placed her hands flat on his chest and her finger trailed a scar.

Her eyes fell close as Dastan kissed down her neck while his hands encircled her waist. He looked at her again, both breathless at her beauty and overcome at the love he felt for her. Dastan placed his right hand on her back just below the neck and glided down to her waist, comforting her from the worry she has been carrying alone.

The last time Tamina felt this way, well, she never felt this way before! Dastan's body on her felt strong and so protective over her than overpowering. It was him shielding her from the world, it was him leading the way not her and she was being adored. She has been with one other person her whole life and it never felt this elevated. Her thoughts were racing through her mind when Dastan pulled her up on his lap so that she saddled him. He looked up to her face and Tamina encircled his shoulders in her arms.

"You're thinking," Dastan said breathing in.

"Well maybe I won't if you were better at this," she joked, "try kissing my neck again and also do that 'stroking my back' thing you did earlier."

"You enjoy telling me what to do?"

"Only because you're so good at following orders," she smirked.

"Don't press your luck princess," he said as he pushed them back onto the bed.


	7. Chapter 7

**Hi everyone. Sorry for taking such a long time but exams are less than a week away. So the chapter was slow and the next one will take some time. But thank you so much for your reviews and keep it coming! It really brightens up my day! Think of me on Wednesday as I do my exam : )**

**Enjoy! **

**Chapter 7**

She opened her eyes to a foreign room, the brightness making her eyes flutter close again. Her feet were peeking out from under the white cover and suddenly she was conscious of her own nakedness. Memories of last night flooded in enticing a shy smile off her lips which she buried in the pillow. She turned to her right in search of Dastan but there was only an empty space.

There was a pang of hurt in her heart that he had already left to the airport not that he abandoned her but that she never was able to say goodbye. Her clothes were arranged on the divan with a robe next to them. She gently placed her bare feet on the floor and tiptoed around. After a few steps she wondered why because she was all alone in the room in the first place. Perhaps this was the way all 'walks of shame' starts she thought to herself. But there was no shame felt. Just joy and pleasure and she dare say, love. 'Too soon and impossible' she shook her head sand walked to the bathroom.

She opened the door and was pleasantly surprised by Dastan. There he was, towel around his waist, fixing his hair. It took all her strength to look at his face and not gawk at the body. Oh that body.

"Good morning," he smiled as wide as he could. She was real and here.

"Good morning," Tamina said with an equally silly grin.

"Nice hair!"

Tamina yelped remembering her crazy sleep hair and tried to flatten it with her hands when he laughed and moved closer to her, leaning in for a kiss.

"Morning breath," Tamina said over her hand covering her mouth.

He laughed, "so you're new to this! I kept a toothbrush for you. I'll see you in a bit."

Tamina closed the door and jumped up and down screaming in silence at how unbelievably unreal and wonderful this was! Thoughts of his body made her crazy. 'It should be illegal for someone to be that good looking' she thought to herself.

Sadly when she did come out, he was dressed but lunched forward to kiss her again. It was slow and luscious with Dastan holding her close by her waist. It was out of love and fear that she may not be real.

"I was not hoping to sneak out," he said when they parted. "You looked so peaceful and I did not want to wake you. So had this whole idea to organise breakfast, leave a cute note you know, like in the movies. But the better situation is if I don't have to leave. I just want to stay with you," he embraced her in his arms.

"It's fine. I thought you had already left anyway. What time is the flight?" she asked.

"It's actually a private jet."

"Wow, I...I don't know what to say except wow."

Dastan smiled and kissed her on the cheek. Tamina looked at his blue eyes and kept her hands on his chest almost to make sure he was real.

"Will you drop me home on your way to the airport?" she asked in a whisper.

"Of course. Your car?"

"I was too mad to drive. Taxied here."

Tamina was a bit embarrassed to walk past the lobby when the doorman thanked her for the pizza. That is when Dastan found out that she had met the pizza delivery boy on her way up again and not wanting to ruin the moment, bought the pizza and gave it to the lobby staff.

The ride to her home was possibly the most wonderful she had ever had. It was hand holding and kissing as if they were sixteen again. When they pulled up to her house, Dastan walked Tamina to the door and held her hands.

"Promise me we can talk about us when I come back. That you are not going to run like freaking crazy," he said and brought her hands to his lips.

Tamina did not know how to react to his request. Dastan seemed genuine, he seemed sincere but history has taught her otherwise. Her company came to mind or his company rather in a matter of weeks. All she could say was, "Come back safe and we will talk."

He pulled her face to him and placed his lips on hers, pushing them open. He left her with her eyes closed and searching for him but he was already in the car. He went about ten meters before he got off, ran back, kissed her and made a dash to the car. This was going to be nothing short of a disaster she thought.

Dastan could not wait to land so that he could speak to her but it was equally important not to be overbearing. He remembered the 'play it cool' lesson Tus gave him when he was fourteen. Two minutes into the ride to Garsiv's, he texted her back in the sly. Garsiv was driving and he peaked at the texting.

"Tamina?"

"Hm? No no just...just the concierge. I...I forgot to um tell them to let the...yes," Dastan stuttered.

"Ya right! Look, if you like her, you should lay the ground work. After the takeover though. Otherwise it seems crude. But, like they say, if you like it then put a ring on it," Garsiv said.

"What the fuck, did you just quote single ladies?" Dastan asked amused.

"I have a very impressionable four year old who's going through a Beyoncé phase. So I get to listen to that song more than Jay-Z," he said making both of them laugh.

Dastan's phone lit up with a message in reply to his confirming his safe arrival and promise to call. It read, 'hear from you soon. Also, remember to pay Garsiv the five thousand. "

Dastan almost screamed! How did she know?

While it was sad to be without Tamina, Dastan treasured the time he had with his father and brothers. He trusted in the ability of his family to do what is right in business. Sharaman while yet unwell said he was happy that finally this third joined the ranks of a great businessman. His reservations about his uncle grew as the business decisions made and other actions always contradicted and he was never able to answer straight. Nizam apart from being a director and now power of attorney to his father was also the General Legal Counsel giving him all the power of knowing any confidential information. Unfortunately he did not voice these concerns to his brothers with his father's health and the takeover in his mind. An action he would soon regret.

Tamina and Dastan constantly spoke or texted, missing each other desperately with each day. He could not wait to be with her again and for once cement their feelings while she was yet trying to comprehend the situation. She knew she harbored feelings for him but should she act on it was a question that kept plaguing her the past two days. It was not possible for her life to be this joyful especially when it came to love. Dastan was too good to be true and trusting a man she knew professionally for only two months seemed daft. Did she regret sleeping with him? No, it strangely felt right and true. However, a decade of heartache with Kosh gave her enough doubt to last a lifetime. She knew she needed an answer by the time he arrives. While she was glad that he is making an effort, she knew it was a delicate matter which may anger Tus and the board.

"Dastan, I don't think you should do this," she said when they spoke.

"Is that concern I hear, Princess?"

"Caution," she said smiling at his wit.

"Sprinkled with concern," he quickly added to duel with her.

"You flatter yourself!"

"And you used to be a better liar," he laughed.

However, it was these words that were running through his head when he first presented the proposal to Tus and Garsiv. The brothers were surprised at Dastan's effort. He has graphs, trends, case studies, legal opinions, projected costing and earnings which he has drawn up with the help of one of the legal team members, Bis. He and Bishop called 'Bis' were friends from the time in foster care. Dastan had not forgotten him when fortune favoured him and convinced his father to put him through school and now he was also with Empire. Bis would do anything for Dastan, even keeping this project secret from Nizam who is his immediate supervisor. Dastan finished his presentation and answered the questions the brothers had.

"So what we will do is to be the ultimate beneficiary owner with Tamina running her company and us just providing capital till they are back on their feet. Then it becomes an easy money making scheme for us. Minimum input and we get our dividends," Dastan concluded.

"According to your plan, Tamina will have 46% stake. Which is almost twice what I wanted to take away from her," Tus said in annoyance.

"Do you really want to stick to your plan? Tus that is what uncle said would impress dad. Really think, Dad has always did his business straight. Do you think he would want us to do that?"

The three sat quiet while Tus pulled the projected profits chart out again and pondered over the numbers.

"I have shown you how keeping Tamina's brand, suppliers, customers, staff would actually save us the cost. Look Dad wanted to bid for the company because of the respect he had for Tamina's Dad. This is a good plan, he will like it," Dastan reassured again.

"Dad is someone who will like win win situations," Tus thought out loud and turned to Garsiv.

"Gars, thoughts?"

"Looking at where Empire is now and our focus on the European market, it makes sense for us to begin in a partnership and piggy back on expertise before we go all guns blazing. So in my professional opinion, I do agree with Dastan's business plan," Garsiv said inviting a smile from Dastan.

"Settled then, I will give this to the lawyers to review and also we need to check the termination clause of the previous handover agreement, No offence Bis but Ii have to refer to the previous legal team," Tus said turning to him.

"It's fine," Bis replied.

Dastan did have a concern that his uncle will now find out about the project but it was too far off now for him to disrupt it.

"Are you sure Tamina will agree to this?" Tus questioned again.

"Judging by what I saw, yes she will," Dastan confirmed.

"You sure you didn't think of this to sleep with her?"

"What? Tus! No I did not," Dastan protested.

Garsiv and Bis laughed at Dastan's reaction and feeling for him decided to come to his rescue. "Look I think this may have been inspired by a certain, shall we say, incident but he worked it out using his brain. He used words he possibility could not know, big words like equity capital, ratios," Garsiv said to show his agreement to this and also to steer the conversation away from Tus. His love for Tamina may convince Tus that the company's interest may be compromised. Tus loved the company and all he ever wanted to do was to run the it after their father and that need had to be pacified.

"Fine, present to the board day after tomorrow," Tus said.

"Day after? I was going to leave tomorrow," Dastan said disappointed that he will not get to see Tamina.

"Stay back a day!"

Dastan missed Tamina desperately but he was careful how he showed this to ensure that Garsiv will not get wind of the more intimate things that had passed between them. He woke up early the next day hating the breaking of news to Tamina that he will be delayed by two days. He was sitting on the kitchen counter talking to her when Garsiv walked in with a smirk.

"So what do you want from New York?" Dastan asked.

"You," Tamina said suddenly before she would stop herself.

While Garsiv did not hear her reply, Dastan's deep blush and silly smile was telling enough. His jaw began to drop at the realisation that certain things have happened between them. Dastan in seeing Garsiv's widened eyes and falling jaw, quickly kept the phone.

"Garsiv...Garsiv, it's not what you think," Dastan said calmly.

"You slept with her!"

"Well..it's..." he stammered.

"You slept with her you little fuck you," he shouted amused clapping for joy at the money which will come his way. "By the way, Tus is going to kill you!"

"Tus will not kill me because you will not tell him. This proposal was there long before we got together," Dastan replied trying to keep Garsiv's voice down.

"So how did you earn me five grand? Wait wait we must have a perfect setting," Garsiv said as he pretended to think. He put on a serious theater voice and said, "previously on Dastan's pussy adventures..."

He laughed." Now tell...by the way by pussy I mean you pansy girly romantic nonsense," Garsiv mocked. However annoying that introduction was, Dastan did finally tell him what had happened.

Dastan spoke to Tamina as he always did. First about business and then he would slowly tease her to get a smile. He thought about that as he moved in bed with a serious lack of sleep excited about the prospects for tomorrow. It finally passed one in the morning and it would be a good day to turn up to work he thought. Today the board will approve for certain his plan for Tamina to keep her company. Unfortunately he did not know of plans that are so much to the contrary which is to happen in a matter of hours to change his whole life.

It was just passed nine in the morning when Tamina's conference line lit up with a New York code just as she walked in. Silly Dastan, she thought calling her at dawn in New York probably. She smiled and picked the call hoping to hear is voice.

"Ms Tamina?" Nizam said.

"This is she," she replied taken aback by the new voice.

"Tamina dear this is Nizam from Empire Corporation," he said with a charming air.

She was surprised to receive a call from the possibly the second in command of the company at such an odd time for them. "Oh yes of course. I have heard so much about you and it is indeed a pleasure to speak to you. What can I do for you? Is everything alright?"

"Well my dear unfortunately it is not for a pleasant matter that I need to speak to you. I was informed by our lawyers in London urgently on the most distressing news and after discussions with my brother Sharaman I am calling on behalf of the company to apologise for the error and the immaturity by Dastan which actually put our delicate takeover in jeopardy."

This left Tamina confused and she tried to make sense of it in her mind.

"I am sorry, I do not understand," she said.

"It seem that the young directors have taken too much of a lead and planned to take over your 25% remaining stake of the company. You would have received a mail from a law firm not our legal team Hassansin or something with an affidavit and draft legal documents on the sale of your shares. The documents had leaked and were forwarded to you and to us. This raised an alarm and we wanted to ensure that you are comforted that this takeover is now under my immediate purview and Dastan will not be overlooking anything anymore. We will be informing the brothers of this matter in the morning," he said authoritatively.

Tamina did not know what to think and her mind argued with what she heard and what she believed. She sat still and felt her face burn with anger. Is this a prank?

"Tamina?"

"Yes I am here," she finally whispered.

"Wha...what did Dastan have to..."

"He had undertaken the role to convince you to let go of the company. He apparently came to New York to get more time to speak to you about it in the hope that he can one day own your company fully. Disrupt Tus' first project," Nizam said in a calm but t in empathetic terms. "He is young man and he always uses his charm to get his way. We are indeed ashamed of this incident and we will put this right," he said.

Tamina kept the phone without saying a word and sat still. Her blood ran cold and her breathing quickened. She ran to the laptop and checked her mails and rightfully the mail was there. She opened the attachment and there it was papers to transfer the shares fully to Dastan. Tamina did not know how many times she read the documents trying to understand or find any flaw in what Nizam said. The proof was there and she had no reason to doubt Nizam as no ill word was ever spoken to her about him. He was the head of legal, closet counsel for Sharaman and now here he was stating the vilest of proof ahead of her.

He she went through every conversation she has had with Dastan where he had pressed her on why she wanted to be with the company. She thought of how he had changed over from inception and to the last time they spoke. It was not fondness or liking. He had lied to her. He had played her well to convince her of his feelings that were nothing but a play. His words, his feelings, his kisses, the night they shared. They were all a terrible rouse. She dropped to her chair and stared at the screen.

Dastan was a lie. She loved a lie.


	8. Chapter 8

**Hi All, **

**Thank you for your reviews and patience. Had one of the worst weeks of my life! But writing this really made me happy. Can't wait to read your reviews! Enjoy and thanks. **

**Chapter 8**

It was an exciting day for him. He was sure that the board will give the approval so his mind battled with telling her the news over the phone as soon as possible or telling her in person so that he can be there with her to celebrate. However, he had been trying to call Tamina from morning but it kept going to her voice mail and even the conference line was picked up by the receptionist. It was very strange as Tamina would normally tell him when she goes in for meetings or any matter at that.

He was putting on his tie when Garsiv came into his room.

"Hey Das, the meeting was canceled. Dad wants to see us immediately," he said out of his usual character.

"What! Why?"

"He did not say but Tus said it didn't sound good," he replied.

Dastan had a very ominous feeling as they drove to their father's. When they neared the study, they could hear him shouting at Tus.

"Here comes the other two," Sharaman exclaimed when they walked in. He looked livid and in his weak state with his heart ailment, he struggled to walk. No matter how much Tus or Nizam tried to calm him down with pleas for his wellbeing, Sharaman was more infuriated.

"Have I taught nothing? All my life's work in jeopardy because you three decided to ruin it all!"

"Dad what's wrong?" Garsiv put his question.

"What's wrong? What's wrong is that the three of you went against my decisions and tried to absorb the shares that are to be Tamina's in the most uncivilized manner," he shouted and slammed this hand against the desk. Dastan and Garsiv then understood what the reprimand was about although it seemed disproportionate to the offence.

"No, Dad…there were indications that she did not want the company," Tus said looking to Nizam to back him.

"Indications? You better have more than indications to do some underhand dirty deal with my company!"

Sharaman sat down, "this immature adventure won't sit with the business community we work with but I suppose you didn't take that into account. You idiot! Don't look to your uncle, boy," Sharaman shouted as Tus once again looked to Nizam for help.

"The decision, and its consequences, rest with me," Tus spoke softly.

"I know you're eager to take over the company Tus, but trust me when I tell you that you're not yet ready and your brother's action put me to even more shame."

Garsiv and Dastan stood in shock and incomprehension trying to understand the reason that lead to this altercation.

"Dad, we never went through with it," Dastan exclaimed although he did not understand why this matter was causing so much grief and anger.

It is then that Sharaman shoved papers towards him. Puzzled as he was with this act, Dastan looked at them as the brothers viewed from the side. They were legal papers, drafts for taking over the company shares from Tamina.

"Wha...what are these?"

"These Dastan were forwarded to us by mistake from another legal company you met with to do the transfer alone," Nizam said with control.

"Dastan!" Tus exclaimed.

"No, it ...I never approved the drafting of this. I never," Dastan frantically tried to reason.

"When there is mail correspondence to you and promise of meetings you dare deny?" Sharaman screamed almost breathless as Nizam held his shoulder to support.

"No, no," Dastan protested.

"So you've never heard or spoken to them?" Nizam questioned.

"No..well yes I did but that was when I was going over some other papers…look I did not scheme this!"

Garsiv by this time had taken the documents from Dastan and read through completely. Why did Dastan plan to give more to Tamina just days ago and now want to take over the company? Then it dawned on him. If Dastan convince the board to award 46% stake and thereafter, buy that from her, Dastan will ultimately be the beneficial owner along with his shares from Empire Inc. This was not the Dastan he knew but proof overwhelmed any fact. He has never looked at Dastan with so much disappointment as he did now.

"You slept with her for this?"

Everyone in the room looked up at these words and realised what Garsiv had said. It seemed to be the last straw for Sharaman.

"You have disgraced this company, I am ashamed to call myself your father," he looked down, holding his chest. "Effective immediately, the three of you will vacate your posts in the company and uncle will take over including the buy in of Alamut."

The three brothers were shocked at the turn of events. None of them were allowed to make their case or clear the doubts that fogged their mind. Knowing their father, they knew arguing with him now is fruitless. As they stepped out, Dastan tried in vain to convince his brothers who were now too weighed with anger and confusion. He ran by them trying to convince them that he did not do what he is now accused of. The talk turned to Tamina.

"Did you fucking sleep with her to do this? To convince her to give up her company," Garsiv shouted.

"No, no you know me for so long! Do you think I would do this? This is all a set up with uncle somehow in the…"

Garsiv cut him off, "oh now you've escalated to blaming uncle!"

While Dastan was forming his words he realised that this may have gone to Tamina with Nizam taking over. He left his brothers at the doorstep and ran to his father again only to meet Nizam, who looked anxious, at the study room door.

"Leave your father alone Dastan," Nizam said as he walked away.

"Does Tamina know about this?"

"Tamina had to Dastan. She got the papers from your lawyers!"

Dastan threw his hands up in frustration, "they are not my lawyers!"

"Dastan you had spoken to them last week on the trusts," Nizam said in annoyance trying to build the proof. "Just go home and leave your father be. This seems like some silly game but you all forget that you are no longer silly children."

It suddenly hit Dastan. How does he know about the trust?

"How do you know about the trust?"

"What?"

"You just said I spoke to that law firm about a trust."

"You…you mentioned that earlier," Nizam said.

"I need to speak to Dad," Dastan said as Nizam once again tried to block him. This time, Dastan maneuvered away.

He opened the door and that is when he saw his father lying on the floor unconscious. He ran to him, screaming at Nizam to call the EMT but he was gone. Dastan tried in vain to check his father's faint pulse and commenced CPR.

Nizam by this time ran to Tus and Garsiv at the driveway breathless.

"Sahar…Sharaman is unconscious. Dastan came in screaming at him and he…collapsed," Nizam lied.

When they came in, all they saw was Dastan trying to revive the limp body of Sharaman. Garsiv pushed him back to a corner and shouted for him to stay there furious after the lie Nizam fed them. Tears of worry filled Dastan's eyes as the helplessness poured in. His father's life lay in a balance and Tamina by now thinks of him as a sham. Why had it turned out as this?

It has been eight hours of pacing in the hospital in concern for their fathers health while the incident in the morning played in their heads. There was no contacting Tamina and text after text was sent to her hoping she would call back. Tamina's phone lit up in the dark with a message from Dastan and she looked at the table where the phone was from the corner she was crying from. Her eyes were red and her head was throbbing in pain. But that she could take. The hurt she felt, the pain in her heart she could not grasp.

All Dastan had in his corner was Bis. Dastan knew that if his brothers were to believe him, he needed to show them what he had uncovered about Nizam and Bis would help. It had been two days since the incident and Sharaman still lay in the ICU, Tamina and Asoka cut all ties with him and his hope of his brothers ever believing him over Nizam was bleak.

Dastan almost forced into Garsiv's head trying to convince him. The calls, the secret meetings of Nizam, the money missing from records- all now which seems just as unbelievable as the proof stacked against him.

"Garsiv, I never did any of this. It was him. Uncle just wanted the money and the power," Dastan almost implored.

"Touching words when you are cornered," he said.

"You always questioned why Dad spent so much time in mentoring us. He always tells me that the bond between brothers is the foundation of our company. Why would I go into the office and scream at father! Have I ever done that?" Dastan asked.

"Nizam recommended that you get pulled out of the project several times," Garsiv suddenly said.

"He' s afraid of what I might say and who I might tell."

"Tell me Dastan and we will tell Tus," Garsiv said as he put his hand on his shoulder.

Informing Tus of what has transpired was easier with Garsiv's help.

"Tamina has not spoken to me since. No messages, no calls nothing goes to her or Asoka. But what I felt for her, what I _feel_ for her is not to get her company. I really do like her. I just need to explain to her what has happened as fucked up as 'this' is," Dastan said.

"You should go," Tus suggested.

"I have to be with Dad, with all of you."

"We are here for Dad and he would be fine. Plus Garsiv and I will be fine without you," Tus said.

"It's not right," Dastan thought out loud.

"Dastan, we can't do anything without Dad and at this moment all we can do is wait," Tus advised.

The three brothers sat still with Garsiv giving his scotch a turn making the cling of ice break the silence.

"You should go to Tamina," Garsiv said. "When crap like this happen, you need your family and someone you love. You get killed throughout the day and then you go home, there she is and everything is fine. I have that, Tus has that. Go get yours."

When he finally got to London, it was four in the morning but Dastan went to Tamina's. He sat at her doorstep and covered himself with the coat. Three more hours and he would be able to see her.

Tamina opened her door to step out for work when the rustling of the keys woke Dastan who had dozed off. She just stared at him in anger.

"Tamina," Dastan whispered as he stood up.

"Don't!"

She started to walk away when he blocked her pleading for a chance to explain himself.

"Tamina please…please give me a chance to explain," he said.

"I don't owe you anything!"

"I know, but please this is all a set up. It's a set up by Nizam."

"I have had enough of your lies Dastan. Get out of my life," she said through her teeth.

"No, no please you have to, _have to, _believe me. This was a set up. I was not scheming to steal the company from under you. I did not draft up any freaking legal documents. And I certainly _did not_ kiss you or …what I feel for you is real," he pleaded.

"Real? Real? Fine, let's see how real you are. Did you and Tus plan to take the 25% from me?" she questioned.

"Tamina…it's more…"

"Yes or no Dastan ," she screamed.

He hung his head and prayed she would understand.

"Yes," he confessed.

"Was your job to convince me to let go of the 25%?"

"Yes," he whispered and looked at her. The pain she felt materialised in her face and her eyes watered. Dastan could have died at seeing her cry. She pushed pass him and walked away.

"Tamina, Tamina please listen to me. I changed my mind after, we all did. I was trying to keep the company for you," he shouted after her as she walked to the road.

"Keep it for me? Nizam told me everything," she spat.

"Nizam is a liar!"

She turned in spite, "Nizam is a liar? And you are a saint? What has Nizam done?"

"We…we are trying to piece together his scheme."

"So you know nothing?" She questioned.

"I do …but I…I need your help. There are some documents I need which you have, a former bidding document from Hassansins for their client a Trust. I went over and over again in my head. I never mentioned the Trust account and Nizam somehow knew that. It's a piece of a puzzle," he said.

Tamina shook her head in disbelief while fresh tears streamed down her face.

"So this is why you came? To find more things for your pernicious lies?"

"No…No Tamina. I'm sorry," he pleaded.

"Don't say that. You don't know what that means. I don't think you know why you are sorry," she cried.

"I am sorry for betraying your trust and I will earn…"

"You can never earn it back. You can't. But that's not the worst part. You broke my heart. I trusted you and you lied. Do you know what makes it more harrowing? You gave me hope, pretended to care, and pretended to be infatuated with me. You _slept_ with me. You pretended to give me all and just pulled the rug from under me. Why? You could have just hurt me. Why did you have to give me hope?" she whispered in between tears.

"It was not lies. It was not empty hope. Tamina…Tamina please… I love you…please please," Dastan said as he held her hands and knelt down almost to beg, eyes moistening in pain.

Tamina felt dizzy at his words. Are they lies? Are they the truth? She could not think.

"Let me go," she said squeezing her eyes shut.

"I won' t ," he held on tighter to her hands.

"Let me go," she cried again, her pain piercing his heart.

"I' m not letting you go!"

"I wish we could have been together. But you took that away," she said as she twisted her hand and walked away.

She ran back to her house and shut the door, leaving Dastan kneeling at the driveway. She sank down and cried. That is all she could do.


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter 9**

Dastan was pacing around the car park waiting for Asoka. He forced himself up from Tamina's doorstep knowing that this was the last chance he had. He was no longer authorized to even enter the building and if anyone could help him, it was Asoka. Garsiv called him at that moment and worried about the dreaded news he might carry of his father, he picked up within a ring.

"Is Dad ok?"

"Yes, yes he is fine. We just got a call from the hospital. On our way there now. Das, Tus and I will try to speak to Dad about this mess...as soon as we get Uncle out of the room," Garsiv said.

"Thank God he's okay. Call me the minute you get there. I want...I want to hear his voice..."he choked.

"Where are you now?"

"Waiting for Asoka to turn up in the car park," Dastan replied looking around for his car.

"What happened with Tamina?" Garsiv questioned again.

Dastan stood quiet and looked at the ground as the pain crept its way back in.

"She...she doesn't believe me... She hates me and I have hurt her the worst possible way. Just caused her more pain," Dastan said.

"So what did you say?"

"I told her I love her."

"WHAT?" Garsiv shouted and relayed the news to Tus who mirrored the same sentiment.

"Dastan you dumb fuck!"

"I said what I felt," Dastan tried to defend himself.

"After three months you love her? And you chose the time where she thinks you slept with her to get the company to say you love her?" Garsiv said frantically.

"It just came out!"

"You over eager son of bitch!"

A smile possibly for the first time in days appeared in Dastan's face at the reprimand by Garsiv and Tus, like old times. At the same time, he saw Asoka pull in.

"Gotta go," he said as Garsiv kept on shouting from the other side.

Dastan ran to Asoka calling out to him.

"I have nothing to say to you," Asoka said unfazed by Dastan.

"I know. I know right now I don't look good but please believe me when I tell you that this was all a set up. I did not do this!"

"Did you get schemed into sleeping with her too?" Asoka turned in anger.

"I deserve that but I need you to believe me one last time. This, all this is some scheme and you can help me make sense of it. Please help me," Dastan pleaded.

"You have ten seconds before I smash your face in!"

Dastan did not know if Asoka will ever believe him but this was the last chance.

"I know Nizam embezzled money and the trail runs dry. But there are bidding documents from Hassansin firm for a trust where they are the trustees. I need that document. It may be..."

"Times up," Asoka said as he walked off.

"Please Asoka, don't do this for me. Do it for Tamina!"

At those words Asoka turned in fury and grabbed Dastan by the collar.

"Don't you dare speak her name, you scum! She lost everything to you! She lost the company, she lost herself. I wanna fucking kill you for what you did," he said under grinding teeth.

"I will get her company back," Dastan said not once trying to free from Asoka's grip.

"It's too late. She's dissolving the company," he spat and pushed Dastan away.

"What?"

"She'd rather die than give the company to you all," Asoka shouted and turned to walk away but Dastan was persistent.

That is when Dastan felt the cold punch on his face making his ear ring in pain. Blood poured from his cut lip. He stood there, feeling that he did deserve that for what he did to Tamina. He preferred to be punished by someone else than the mental torture he was going through.

All was lost now. The last puzzle piece which could have given him the lead in time before the handover of Alamut, it was gone. It would not have helped either way as Tamina is now liquidating the company fully.

His mind was occupied with the words his father finally spoke to him after the incident. While Sharaman did not fully understand what had happened, he did believe his sons at least to give them the chance to get their theory right. However, it was a dead-end now. Without that document, the name of the trust is yet unknown and they cannot figure out how Nizam stacked his money. Tamina occupied his mind. It was torture to him to leave her but staying, forcing her to listen would just deepen her wound. If they are meant to be, they would be. Or so he kept telling himself.

Garsiv was there to pick him up and raised his eyebrow at the bruise with the cut lip.

"Tamina?" Garsiv asked.

"Asoka," Dastan sighed. "Tamina did my insides. If you think this is bad," he said in dejection.

"I might have something to cheer you up in the car," Garsiv said as he grabbed Dastan's bag and led him to the car. They drove off and Garsiv handed him the tab.

"What's this?"

"See the folder."

There it was, the three bid documents which Dastan was looking for with those hidden trust. Documents were here!

"How did you get them?"

"Asoka mailed it to me after you left. I don't know what you said but it had worked," Garsiv smiled.

"We need to find out…."

"Already done that. Very complicated but the boiled down version is that the trust's settlor is an accountant who is working for a front company who happen to issue bearer shares who happen to somehow hold Power of Attorney to a principal who is…"

"Nizam!"

"Not quite. One more attorney and then it leads to Nizam," Garsiv smiled.

"Wow…we did it."

"You did it Dastan. You shouldn't have had to go all this way to prove something," Garsiv messed his hair.

"I still can save Tamina's company. We just need to get our facts right, present to the board, authorities and that's it. Just have to be quick before she dissolves the company," Dastan thought out loud.

"You really have it in for her, don't you?"

"I…Gas this is crazy. Never felt so much for someone before. You just want her to be happy. No matter what happens to me. I just want her to be happy," Dastan trailed off and both of them stilled in quietness.

"Gosh you've such a fucking girl," Garsiv suddenly laughed.

"I know right!" Dastan joined in the laughter.

"You are desperately in love with her!"

"Craaaaaazy in love with her," Dastan shook his head with his cheeky smile.

It can work now. There was hope to give the company back to her and that is all he wanted- to mend the wrongs he did. He should have never been a part of this in the first place. His father did repeat this sentiment when they met again. "A great man would have stopped what he knew to be wrong, no matter who was ordering it," he threw a look at Dastan. Sharaman looked at Tus, "and a true Leader considers the advice of counsel, but he always listens to his own heart. Just listen to your heart."

The day was here when Nizam would be caught in his own lies. As difficult as it was, it had to be done. Nizam was on the defensive and as they sat in that boardroom, tempers started to flare as he attacked Dastan who did not back down either.

"You were trying to bid over Alamut!"

"Dastan, have you gone mad?"

"I cannot stand silent when you are going around creating lies and destroying this family," Dastan shouted back.

"What he needs now is to get out from under the scheme he created and the skirt he crawled under," Nizam shouted at the other board members and the two brothers.

"The documents you put forward are forgeries! There is no scheme by me, Uncle, and you know it," Dastan countered.

"There were documents from the lawyers you approached," Nizam spat.

"And the lawyers who supposedly did this work for me was hired by you to be your trustees with the money you embezzled!"

"What is this, Dastan? Remorse after being caught? You yourself admitted you wanted to convince her to give up her company."

"I should never have let the idea take off. I knew in my heart that it was wrong. You schemed all of this to break our family apart and keep the company for you. You knew when we messed this up Dad would kick us out and you, YOU will have the power. And don't think we don't know that you have halved Dad's medicine making him sick," Dastan exclaimed.

The room stood silent for a minute with only Nizam's deep breadth taking over.

"It'll never be you," Dastan said. "You will never be the Leader in this company. You don't have the heart. You will die in the shadow of a great man."

"Tus !" Nizam shouted.

"Tus knows your deceit."

"Tus, take measure here," Nizam hissed.

"The documents, the lawyers, we know the truth," Tus said calmly.

"You had what every man could ever dream of. Love, respect, and family. But that wasn't enough for you was it?" Dastan looked at him square in the eye. It was rage that filled him. Rage at what Nizam made his family go through and how Tamina was just caught in this matter. It ruined her life and what they could have had.

The investigation findings were shared amongst the board and there was no doubt of Nizam's guilt. It was over but to Dastan, this did not seem as a victory as what he treasured most can never be won. It had been a painful and nightmarish to say the least. It was not done yet. There have been no news from Tamina to revoke the agreement and there was two more weeks to the takeover. It was as if there was a time bomb.

Two days after Nizam was fired and formal investigations had commenced, Tamina got a message from Asoka early in the morning, "check the link I mailed to you NOW."

It was a link to an article in the New York Times-'Fall of an Empire: stocks scrambles as Legal Counsel is arrested for embezzlement.'

Tamina read through the news several times. It was true, what Dastan said was true. It has been a devious plan by Nizam.

"You sent the documents to Dastan, didn't you?" Tamina questioned Asoka when he arrived at work.

"No!" Asoka protested with passion before adding meekly, "I gave it to Garsiv. I am sorry I…"

"It's fine. I would have if …well we were wrong about that situation. But Dastan still lied to me. That never changed," Tamina said as they sat down.

"Tus has written to me asking for an appointment and wanted us not to revoke the agreement. So I suppose you told Tus that we are planning to dissolve the company?" Tamina smiled.

"No!" he protested again only to add, "I told Dastan…but I had good intensions."

"I might have also punched him," Asoka confessed.

"Good!"

Tamina was nervous to speak to Tus over video conferencing especially since Dastan would be there. But he was a noticeable absentee. Tamina did not know why she was bitterly disappointed at that.

"Tamina, I was misled to try to gain your shares and I am truly sorry for all that has transpired. I know it is a lot of inconvenience and pain of mind. We know it is a lot to ask but let me try to make amends," Tus said as apologetic as he could.

"Inconvenience and pain of mind is the understatement of the year Tus. I could sue you for this and get enough money to save the company," Tamina stated in her old cold self. "But we have discussed this and we are agreeable to be bound by the original agreement."

"Unfortunately we are not," Tus said to everyone's surprise.

"Did I hear you right? First you apologise and now you don't want to honor the agreement?" she raised her voice.

"Two weeks ago, Dastan came here with a better proposal than what we have now. It was a business plan that would allow 46% ownership to you and management rights. The board agreed to it and we hope you do too," Tus concluded.

"Wha…I…well this is a turn of events. Yes…er… please send over the documents for our review," Tamina said in shock.

It was one in the morning when she read the proposal again with the lawyer's advice. There was no ulterior motive, there was no catch. It was a fair deal!

That was his plan, to give her the company back. No matter the lies he had told her, it seems that he is now trying to atone for them. Her mind, now void of the fabrication Nizam made of Dastan, turned again to the man she fell for, and she dare say, she still loved.

Yet, it was gone now. It is not as if time can be turned back and wrongs turned right.

The 90th day finally came and once again it was Tus and Garsiv that turned up for the official signing off. The day was here for Tamina too. Finally as her father said, she sat at the throne of Alamut. However, she lost her king in the process. Memories of Dastan flooded her minds- first time they met, all the banter, all the stolen glances, all the love she felt.

Handshakes, photographs, press quotes and a luncheon after, Tamina was leaving when Garsiv called after her.

"I don't know how appropriate this is and Dastan did not make me say this. The five thousand bet was just silly and stupid and demining. But the reason I made that bet was because I knew the first time I saw the way he looked at you, he was falling for you. I should have made the bet better, like 'you will tell her you love her in three months' bet," Garsiv said.

Tamina did not comment in disbelief but just smiled though the pain and walked away.

Three months passed so easily with her in the job and Alamut was finally picking up. It felt right for her to sit at her father's desk and lead her company, well 46% of it. She has recovered well from Dastan or so she tells herself. It was not the sentiment when she saw a picture of Dastan and his date at a New York social event. She looked twenty four and worse like a freaking swimsuit model! She smiled and closed the magazine. It did not hurt as much now.

It was, however, as it is meant to be. Her destiny was to be at the helm of the company and Dastan's was to take the field as a Businessman. Fate had a plan and it played out well. She loved. She lost. That gave her hope that she would find her love with someone one day.


	10. Chapter 10

**Final chapter. Hope I did this fic justice. Enjoy and look forward to your feedback **

**Chapter 10**

Dastan walked in on Monday morning to the Boardroom for the meeting as his brothers sat discussing in whispers. They abruptly stopped as he walked in.

"There he is! So how your _date_?" Garsiv smirked.

"Short. I took her to the event and dropped her home and that was it," Dastan said as he sat and the brothers looked at each other.

"What's happening?"

"Dastan we got this plan for some time now and I think it is the right time," Tus said.

"What plan? Are you two going to like sacrifice me to the Kraken?" he asked.

"Well you could say that…depends on what you think of Tamina," Garsiv smiled.

"What?" Dastan asked shocked.

Tus sat at the head of the table and passed a file to Dastan.

"Alamut is doing well and we, the board, feel that it is time that you go back to the London office. We still own 54% and we need to decide on our next move in the London market," Tus proposed.

"This has nothing to do with Tamina?" Dastan questioned again.

"What! Noooooo," the brothers said in unison.

They sat in quietness while Dastan looked over the papers. Tus observed him, "you have been miserable since this whole thing. If you are not going to make the decision, we will have to."

Garsiv leaned into Dastan quietly to after Tus walked out, "get up there before_ I_ take your place. Also, bet you five grand you're gonna marry her!"

Tamina did not know what to make of the news but when the majority owners of the company wants her to accommodate Dastan, it is not something she can deny. It was an anxious week waiting for him to arrive at the London office and Tamina's mind kept racing to the first time they met. She was unsure of how to maneuver this meeting with all the awkwardness of the past and mistakes made by both of them.

She was lost in her thoughts when Asoka brought the news that he is here.

"Do you want me to stay?" Asoka asked.

"No, I'll be fine. Plus you punched him once" she said. Her breadth quickened as she made her way to the boardroom and awaited Dastan. She sat at her old seat when he was shadowing her.

Dastan felt his heartbeat drum in his ears as he saw her sitting in the boardroom and it took him back to six months. It felt the same but so much more anxious.

As he opened the door and moved in, Dastan exhaled at her beauty. There she was, his princess. Her hazel eyes dark and doe like. She blushed as she saw him and stood still almost a vision.

"Hello Tamina," he said nervously.

She simply nodded in return, her lips parting in hearing his voice for the first time in months.

"I…er," Dastan stopped and cleared his throat, "I am seeing you after so long and emm it's er…customary to accompany a business merger such as ours with perhaps a gift but I was surprised at this appointment and so I am unprepared."

He walked closer, "I have nothing for you, save that which was already yours."

They both held still looking deep into each other's eyes and Tamina was feeling tears rise as his presence became more real.

"Walk with me Dastan," she said as she knew it was going to get very personal and being in a glass box for everyone to see was not a good idea. She led him to her office and as the door closed, she turned to him.

"How can I trust the man that breached the _trust _I placed in him once?" she asked.

"I' m starting to think I' m no longer the same man and I am willing to spend as much time to prove that to you."

"That's a short time for a man to change so much, especially with a model in his arms," she added.

"Perhaps, but if there's a will there's a way and the model was just dinner not even dancing. I reserve the dancing for damsels who are running off across dance floors from monsters," he said making reference to the time at the Beverage Association Ball.

"You just keep coming back here, don't you? It sounds as if you've discovered something here," she said as she walked around her desk.

"What might that be?" Dastan put the question to her.

"Awareness of what fate has for you," she said.

"Destiny?" he supposed as he looked deep into her eyes making her unsteady in thoughts.

"Yes exactly. Why else would you see to crash my life every time I pick up? "

"You know me. Always believed that we make our own destinies."

"You have always had an unfortunate lack of curiosity when it came to important things," she looked away in annoyance. She badly wanted him to say it was her who brought him here but it is starting to look like he had moved on.

"No doubt one of my many flaws," he shook his head.

"Please don't mock me Dastan," she turned but was surprised to find him so close to her. She could feel him and her eyes fluttered at his gaze.

"Oh, I hardly think we know each other well enough for that. How long has it been since I held you?" his lips curled to a smile.

Dastan reached and brought her right hand to his lips. A shiver ran over her at his touch and they were so close, a breath away.

"Earlier, you said you have nothing for me except what is already mine. What is it?" she asked in as her eyes looked up to his for a second then traced his lips.

"My heart," he whispered and heard her gasp.

He placed his hands on her cheeks and lowered to capture her lips. She felt as if her whole being was brightened. He was here and he was hers.

"Garsiv made another bet with me. Five grand that I'll marry you," he laughed.

"That will be the second time you lose five thousand dollars! Wait, did you just propose to me?" she turned with a bright face.

"Well you just said yes, so I think I _successfully_ proposed to you," he flashed his cheeky smile and looked at her.

"I love you so much Tamina, its borderline crazy!"

"Yes you are," She laughed. "But I am borderline crazy for you too."

"In other words…." He pushed.

"In other words…I'm in love with you," she smiled as he leaned in for another kiss.

As they held on to each other, it was obvious and true that they are exactly where they should be. Why life would take them through great loss was easy to fathom. It was done so that they know what it is to lose each other and how precious they were. That is Alamut gained a _'King'_ and the Empire a _'Princess'_.

It was inseparable, devout and yearning love. It was fate. It was …destiny.

**So hope you all enjoyed my writing and look forward for your reviews. I love writing and it gives me great joy to know that someone out there enjoy the 'crazy' out of my mind. You have no idea how much I look forward to writing to you all. **

**My next one will take time to come out because I want to post the full story and might venture to M rating (ohhhhhh!). **

**Until then, thank you so much and TC**


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